June 13, 2011

Good Day, Dallas!

Feeling plenty rowdy, proud, and loud this morning after last night's win over Miami, making the Dallas Mavericks the NBA Champions by a margin of 4-2. As with the entire series, this one was a nail biter. Early on...and for the first time in the finals...Nowitzki found it hard to score points, but he came alive in the second half, initially with some tremendous defensive plays, then by sinking some beautiful shots. Jason Terry was terrific—I've always been a fan of the Mav's sixth man, even when he was Nick van Exel back in the day— and Tyson Chandler throughout this series against the Heat was an unsung hero.

My only gripe? NBA Commissioner David Stern mispronounced Dirk Nowitzki's name while awarding him the Finals' MVP. Really...really? OTOH, Mark Cuban stayed mum throughout the post-season, showing some real maturity.

Here's what I love best about this win:

  • Vindication over the Heat after the humiliation of 2006
  • An NBA Championship win not by a team of stars, but by a team of players ably led by a star who stuck by his team during the lean years
  • Proof that an NBA team can win without thuggery or poor sportsmanship, but instead through stalwart determination and a will to win.

Woot!


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