2011 NBA Champions: THE DALLAS MAVERICKS
Last night we crowned the NBA Champions when the Mavericks beat the Heat 105-95. Game 6 showed the world who the real champions were and who could rise to the occasion of the finals and who has epic collapses. This year's NBA Playoffs has been the most interesting playoffs that I have had the opportunity to watch. On the West you had the defending champions fall from grace to the current champions. Yet it wasn't the West who provided all of the entertainment though there were definitely interesting match-ups as teams no one thought would advance in the playoffs did like the Grizzlies and the Thunder and even the Mavericks until they proved to the entire world that they were the team to beat and this year no one was able to do so. Yet it was the East that provided most of the highlights. You had the Celtics, the Heat, the Bull's and the Magic, four teams that have major superstars on their teams and all teams that people expected to advance far. The Celtics wanted revenge for last year's finals but lost to the Heat and then with the Bull's you had the leagues best team and the leagues MVP playing opposite Miami's Big 3. The Bull's struggled against the Heat and lost their chance to reinvent themselves as a team without the aura of Michael Jordan. I certainly know that soon there will be lots of talk about Rose's Chicago team and the Bull's have time to make a big name for themselves.
This years finals represented a classic story book ending, it was Cinderella vs the Ugly Step Sisters and as in all fairy tales Cinderella wins in the end and it is Happily Ever After. Yes I know I am equating sports to fairy tales right now but in all honesty that was the case this year. Everyone wanted to see Miami lose and to watch the fall from grace for Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh because of the decision and the massive party that Miami put on when introducing the "Big 3". While on the other side you had the Mavericks, who played hard and worked hard and didn't get any media attention besides a few times when they quoted that Dirk would like to be able to play in Europe if for any reason there was a lockout next year and there wasn't a NBA season. Otherwise who really new about Dallas unless you were a huge sports fan or a Dallas fan. Then once they came onto the stage everyone wanted to know who this team was who the players were just like Cinderella at the ball. They were the interesting newcomers people who for the most part played their entire careers without a ring and championship, finally they achieved it. Dallas played Game 6 as if it was 11:55 and their carriage was going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight and they would lose everything they wanted if they didn't get out Miami at the stroke of Midnight.
Dirk exploded in the second half of the game and showed that he is a clutch player, someone who doesn't allow a bad first half to be the defining moment of his game but who takes it and uses it to fuel a spectacular comeback and drive the knife in to the hearts of Miami fans. Dirk and the Mavericks went into Miami on a mission not to give up Game 6 and be forced into a Game 7 but to quickly and efficiently take control and never look back. The first half was a lot of back and forth though the Mavericks did have most of the control but the second half that is where it all came together for Dallas. Also Jason Terry proved that having a tattoo of the NBA Championship Trophy wasn't a taboo but something that fueled him to play better as he was voted the Game 6 player of the game. He came off the bench to pound the Heat into submission. While on the other side you had the epic collapse of Lebron, while yes he did score 21 points, most of those were after the game was already lost. He didn't step up and take control like he should have if he wants to be considered a great player. He always seems to fall apart in high pressure situations. Now there is a new saying that is going around called the Lebrondown, its where you play well for three quarters but in the fourth you epically fail and start not pushing and looking for shots to take. If Lebron had pushed himself the outcome would have been different but I will say I loved this outcome and I wanted the Mavericks to win from the time they swept the Lakers.
I hope you all enjoyed this post and keep following my love affair with sports.
This years finals represented a classic story book ending, it was Cinderella vs the Ugly Step Sisters and as in all fairy tales Cinderella wins in the end and it is Happily Ever After. Yes I know I am equating sports to fairy tales right now but in all honesty that was the case this year. Everyone wanted to see Miami lose and to watch the fall from grace for Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh because of the decision and the massive party that Miami put on when introducing the "Big 3". While on the other side you had the Mavericks, who played hard and worked hard and didn't get any media attention besides a few times when they quoted that Dirk would like to be able to play in Europe if for any reason there was a lockout next year and there wasn't a NBA season. Otherwise who really new about Dallas unless you were a huge sports fan or a Dallas fan. Then once they came onto the stage everyone wanted to know who this team was who the players were just like Cinderella at the ball. They were the interesting newcomers people who for the most part played their entire careers without a ring and championship, finally they achieved it. Dallas played Game 6 as if it was 11:55 and their carriage was going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight and they would lose everything they wanted if they didn't get out Miami at the stroke of Midnight.
Dirk exploded in the second half of the game and showed that he is a clutch player, someone who doesn't allow a bad first half to be the defining moment of his game but who takes it and uses it to fuel a spectacular comeback and drive the knife in to the hearts of Miami fans. Dirk and the Mavericks went into Miami on a mission not to give up Game 6 and be forced into a Game 7 but to quickly and efficiently take control and never look back. The first half was a lot of back and forth though the Mavericks did have most of the control but the second half that is where it all came together for Dallas. Also Jason Terry proved that having a tattoo of the NBA Championship Trophy wasn't a taboo but something that fueled him to play better as he was voted the Game 6 player of the game. He came off the bench to pound the Heat into submission. While on the other side you had the epic collapse of Lebron, while yes he did score 21 points, most of those were after the game was already lost. He didn't step up and take control like he should have if he wants to be considered a great player. He always seems to fall apart in high pressure situations. Now there is a new saying that is going around called the Lebrondown, its where you play well for three quarters but in the fourth you epically fail and start not pushing and looking for shots to take. If Lebron had pushed himself the outcome would have been different but I will say I loved this outcome and I wanted the Mavericks to win from the time they swept the Lakers.
I hope you all enjoyed this post and keep following my love affair with sports.
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