It pays to be silent - After a rather surprisingly quiet Postseason from one of the most outspoken personalities in the game of basketball, Mavs owner Mark Cuban can finally break his silence as his team brought home the highly coveted Larry O'Brien trophy for the first time in franchise history on Sunday. While Cuban has spent 11 years at the thrown of the Mavericks waiting for this much anticipated achievement, the Dallas faithful that have been around since day one have waited a patient 31 years since the franchise was founded in 1980. Ironically, they did it against the same team that overcame an 0-2 deficit in the '06 NBA Finals to end their chances of hanging a banner in the rafters just four years ago when Dallas made their first ever Finals appearance.
With a title to finally add to their trophy case, it was only appropriate that the greatest player in team history received the hardware as Dirk Nowitzki was named Finals MVP, scoring 21 points in route to a 105-95 victory in the clincher. The former league MVP in 2007 stuck it to those who questioned and poked fun at his illness of a 101 degree fever in Game 4 and a torn tendon in his left middle finger in Game 2 by averaging 26 points in the series to overcome both hardships. In spite of becoming only the fourth player in NBA history to be named Finals MVP that was born outside of the U.S., Dirk's production would come much later as he was cold to start the game. With a poor 1-for-12 shooting performance in the first half, the 10-time All-Star picked it up down the stretch in the 4th quarter like he's done all series long, putting up a 10 spot when it mattered most.
A staggering stat to prove just how dominant Dirk was throughout the series in the final quarter; while Miami's dynamic duo of Dwayne Wade and LeBron James combined for a total of 62 4th Quarter points, Dirk logged 62 4th Quarter points on his own. Though Nowitzki's late-game efforts were among some of the most significant shots of the night, it would be an absolute mockery if I failed to mention Jason Terry.
Prior to the season, Terry, the recipient of the Sixth Man Award in '09 made the gutsy decision to get the Larry O'Brien Trophy tattooed on his right bicep as a reminder to what exactly he was playing for. When asked by the media about the tat before the Finals begun, Terry said he'd have it removed if they were to lose. Luckily for him, both his skin and wallet will be saved as that's no longer the case thanks in large part to Terry's game-high 27 points.
Having played not only the entire series, but the entire postseason without their second best player in Caron Butler, players like Terry, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, DeShawn Stevenson and J.J. Barea all stepped up big to help ease the workload of Nowitzki when needed. Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle who was somewhat of a rookie coaching in this Finals atmosphere, made decisions that would make one think otherwise. While there are many to choose from, none were bigger than his choice to start backup point-guard J.J. Barea over Jason Kidd in games 3 through 6 which proved to be a key adjustment. Carlisle also did a fine job orchestrating a defensive scheme to crowd Miami's LeBron James and force the ball out of his hands which practically made him a non-factor in the latter part of the series.
Throughout these playoffs, the Miami Heat were virtually unstoppable at home, posting an undefeated mark of 8-0. Unfortunately for them, their dominant streak at home would be put to the test against a Dallas team that's been nothing short of stellar when playing on the road away from Dallas' American Airlines Arena. Dallas would eventually win two of their four games while on the road in Miami as they finished the postseason 8-3 on the road.
Next on the agenda for the World Champion Mavs: the parade. And with a billionaire owner, who better to pay the tab than Mr. Cuban himself. After their Game 6 celebration, Cuban said he's doing just that. One thing he isn't paying for however, are rings. In a post-game interview with the Larry O'Brien Trophy in his lap, Cuban told reporters that rings are too passe and that he's got something else in mind. Considering it's Dallas' first ever NBA title, I find it odd that Cuban plans to reward his players with something other than a ring. But with as much money as he has, the possibilities are endless.
While I'm curious as to find out just what Cuban has up his sleeve, I can only imagine what two the team's more seasoned veterans in Dirk (14 years in the league) and Kidd (17 years in the league) think of the whole idea given they've been on a hunt for a ring their entire careers. Regardless, they'll now have an NBA title under their resume when they're enshrined into the Hall of Fame.
After a long night of celebrating his team finally bringing a Championship to Dallas, Cuban tweeted: "This will sound weird. Im laying in bed with the trophy next to me. #dreamscometrue." It appears that sleeping wasn't all the two did together...
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