It is Hotter in Dallas Than It is in Miami!
Summers in Dallas, Texas are scorching and on June 12, 2011, it was much hotter in the Big D than it was in Miami. Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in Game 6 of the NBA Finals, giving the Dallas-based team their first NBA Championship. Perhaps it was destiny, given the fact that Dallas won its first championship at home, in the American Airlines Center, the home arena of the Mavericks.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was certainly beside himself, tweeting most of the night, and celebrating with the fans with such ebullient posts as “Can’t sleep. Just thinking. In the immortal words of Sarah Melton…. “Woohoo!” and “This will sound weird. I’m lying in bed. With the trophy next me.”
The final results were 57-25, and in the end, the Mavericks won four out of 6 games. The Most Valuable Player award went to Dirk Werner Nowitzki, the German-born “import” who has played faithfully with the Mavericks ever since 1998. In fact, Nowitzki has led the team to 11 consecutive NBA Playoffs since 2000. On Sunday, he became one of only five players in the sport’s history to win the championship while being the only team member NBA All-Star. Nowitzki made history as well as the Dallas Mavericks, as he became the first NBA player in history to win the MVP award who was born in Europe.
The German town of Wuerzburg (Dirk’s hometown) also celebrated the player’s achievement. His father Joerg stated, “It is something really special for Dirk because he is finally recognized in America too as a real sporting great.”
Other standout players included Jason Terry, who scored 27 points in the final game, and Jason Kidd, who made a three pointer from the top of the arch, giving his team a couple of three pointers in the crucial Game 5. J.J. Barea, Tyson Chandler and Shawn Marion have also earned kudos from the media, though it’s hard to argue that the victory was a team effort.
Experts state that the secret to Dallas’ success was their great defense. The team was able to neutralize Dwyane Wade and LeBron James’ tough offense and use the zone to fend off top scorers from Miami Heat.
It was the first championship Dallas claimed, and partying will continue throughout the hot Texas summer. Will it be the last? Was this a fluke for the Mavericks or are they going to be giving Heat and all other NBA teams a run for their money in years to come?
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Categorized in: NBA
Tags: Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, NBA