Ask casual viewers of this series how they would classify this matchup and "Good vs. Evil" would be a common response. Every great battle needs a hero and villain. Before the ball was even tipped off for the first time in game one, we already had those roles cast. Humble Dallas seven-footer Dirk Nowitzki against brash Miami super duper star Lebron James. Lebron had been public enemy #1 ever since "The Decision" sent his talents to South Beach. He still remained as popular as ever, but more as a figure that people loved to hate. On the other hand, for all of Dirk's accolades (2007 regular season MVP, 11 straight seasons with 20+ PPG), he was flying under the radar, until an amazing playoff ride skyrocketed his popularity. The match up of these two carefully constructed characters gave the finals the depth it needed for a storybook cap on the NBA season. The plotline went according to plan. While Nowitzki excelled under pressure, King James crumbled in crunch time. When the cover closed, the hero conquered the villain giving most fans exactly what they wanted. Lebron walked off the court wondering when that first title will finally come, while Dirk raised the Bill Russell MVP Trophy above his head in celebration.
It was a tale of vindication, not only for Nowitzki, but for the rest of the Dallas Mavericks. After choking away the 2006 NBA Finals against this same Miami Heat team, the Mavs flipped the script and crossed their names off the list of teams that have never won a championship. The man that built this franchise from the ground up, Mark Cuban, also deserves plenty of credit. The talkative Dallas owner bought the team 11 years ago and transformed them from an annual cellar dweller to a yearly contender. Dirk was clearly the key catalyst on the court, but he couldn't have done it without veterans Jason Terry, Jason Kidd, and Shawn Marion who were also very deserving of their first rings.
What an incredible series from start to finish. Even with the slightly anticlimactic ending, this was still a very closely contested series. There's no reason to take anything away from what the Mavs just did. People kept picking against them and they kept defying the odds. In the first round, they were a popular pick to get upset by the Blazers. Didn't happen. Who picked them to sweep the Lakers in round 2? How about no one. The young Thunder led by the dynamic duo of Kevin Durant and Russel Westbrook were no match either. As for the mighty Miami Heat, they fell to the same fate as the Mavs' previous three opponents. Even when it looked like they were dead in the water after falling behind 2-1 in the finals, Dallas didn't blink. They just went and reeled off three straight wins to capture the title. Simply unbelievable. The Mavericks may not have been the best squad on paper, but they were the best when it mattered most. The true definition of a team.
by Andy Adamson
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