6-10 championships. That’s what they said. The Big 3 boldly stated that they could win 6+ championships with the Miami Heat. Everybody including themselves called this season a failure without a championship. I guess that’s what this season was for them a big failure.
When the finals rolled around, the veteran Mavericks were the underdogs. Rick Carlisle said it best, ” We don’t run fast or jump high, but we have a great team.”
A great team. That’s what wins championships. Not the superstar power of three players and a few points off the bench. No. It takes a Hall of Famer committed since the day he was drafted, to win a championship in Dallas. It takes a 6th man who is more clutch then a two-time MVP in this league. It takes a gritty interior defender who dives for loose balls everywhere they go. It takes an underdog foreign point guard who lights up everybody unexpectedly. It takes a veteran point guard with the best passing skills in NBA history. It takes a veteran forward who dreams of championships every night when he is sleeping. It takes a coach who loves his players and will stop at nothing to get them the championship they deserve. That’s what makes up a championship team.
That also carries over into the legacy conversation. Lebron James will never have a legacy as great as Dirk. Never. He may be more athletic, and more talented, but he played 7 years and needed a championship. So he took the easy route and that was it. He was in a better position for glory. Dirk went through 12 hectic, championship short seasons, he never doubted his team, or teammates, he never thought of leaving. Even when Steve Nash left he never called out the front office or did anything to jeopardise his legacy. He stuck with Dallas for 13 years and eventually won a championship. This championship that he won yesterday will mean more then any that Lebron ever wins. He won it over Lebron, he won it with the team he was drafted by, and he did it all by himself.
Dirk really showed what the heart of a champion meant. He played sick and scored 21. He was the lone star of a team without his number two scorer, in Caron Butler. He outplayed everybody on the court even two top 3 players in the NBA. Dirk will be remembered as a champion, like no other. He has no bad rep on him, he has not had a bad season in 13 years. Every year has been consistent and stat filled. Up and coming players should look to players like Dirk instead of Lebron. Players who don’t let their team down when it counts most, players who don’t call themselves the king and then don’t win a championship in 8 years, players who take the easy route to a championship. Not players like Lebron but like Dirk.
When we take a look at Dirk’s career we can really see how complete it has been. An MVP, a finals MVP, an NBA championship, recreating the power forward position, developing the 2nd most unstoppable shot in NBA history, scoring 20 or more points for 10+ years, 10 time all star, leading the Mavericks in points. I mean from top to bottom Dirk Nowitzki is a prize possession for this league. When we look back at this series we won’t be looking back at Lebron’s failure but Dirk’s great and much deserved success.
nbathroughmyveins 
Great series, with a very satisfying end. Dirk had a terrible night for 3 quarters, but brought it when it mattered. I almost feel sorry for Lebron, in that I don’t think he ever really wanted to be “the man.” That’s why he went to Miami – he figured if Wade was ‘the man,’ he could just do his thing without all the pressure. It worked out just the opposite. He has even more pressure now than when he was in Cleveland. People underestimated the importance of Wade having already won a championship. He has shown he can carry a team to a title. Lebron hasn’t. The pressure will build every year he doesn’t.
Great series, and I am so glad Dirk won his championship. But to say that you feel sorry for Lebron, well I just don’t understand. He made up the nickname the “king” for himself.He knew after his rookie of the year and his two MVP’s he was the man. He wanted the attention, that’s why he created the decision and that’s why he tatooed ” The Chosen One” On his back. I think that Lebron brought this on himself, he should have stayed in Cleveland and finished his career there. He would me so successful had he stayed and his legacy would be better than the one in Miami. I was just wondering could D-Wade be a better player then Lebron James? He sure has played like that in the finals, i don’t know we’ll have to see how they progress.
I agree with you Max. It seesm LeBron believed/believes he is destind for “ultra” greatness. However, “Destiny” chooses the person, be it a destiny of defeat, or of victory. Destiny does not read and adhere to tatoo’s,or listen to braggadocio.
Totally agree, Lebron thought he was the one, I guess coming out of high school he had a bigger ego then he could handle. Maybe after this devastating loss, and his disappointing play, he’ll go back to Miami take a long look in the mirror and come back next season ready to win a championship.
Are you sure you’re only thirteen? I’m joking….Great insight and so well written…..
you may very well have a future in this, Max!
keep up the good work!
Thanks for your support. It means a lot.
Perfect ending to an amazing series, Dirk got his championship. I love seeing teams with veterans who have never won a title win a title. That’s Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, DIrk, and almost everyone on that Dallas squad. LeBron…I can’t even tell you how pathetic an effort that was in Games 4, 5, and 6.
The “King” should be playing better then he did in those three games. Great series, great ending, deserving winner.
Great blog, Max and great post. Will have to say though, John Stockton might argue your “It takes a veteran point guard with the best passing skills in NBA history” comment. 🙂
Thanks for your support. I guess you could be right about John Stockton being a better passer. It’s just an opinion, but I feel like John Stockton was such an effective passer because he was playing with one of the best pick and roll big men in Karl Malone. Kidd has adapted to all players and superstars like Vince Carter and Dirk Nowitzki and passed to them his whole career. I guess I also wasn’t alive to witness John Stockton
s greatness. I’ve only watched games on tape and read stories.
Boy, I feel old, Max!
And I’ll agree Jason Kidd has had to adapt in a way John Stockton never did… but he IS still about 4200 assists away from beating Stockton’s assist record. 🙂
All that being said, I’m glad Jason got the ring- nice to see some of the guys I grew up with still out there playing at such a high level.
It’s amazing to see Jason Kidd win a ring. He does things like get the ball up the court, control the tempo and other things that win games. He stuck with his career and won one in the end. Haha, if we look at all time assists then John is clearly the leader in that department.
Un-B-Lievable! What a series bro! I’m happy for the Mavs and Dirk. To be honest though, I don’t think I could take a Game 7. I was stressed. Now it’s over.Now Dallas can relax. Thanks for checking out my posts earlier.
http://lonestarsportsledger.wordpress.com/
I would have loved a tense game 7, I almost feel that game 6 wasn’t competitive enough.
Just out of curiousity, what is the first most unstoppable shot?
Kareem’s sky hook is the most unstoppable shot in NBA history. Nobody could stop a 7 footer shooting a sky hook 2 feet above his head.
Lebron being Lebron, he might still be one of the 15 best players who have ever played the game. Dirk is a great leader and clutch scorer, but not nearly the passer and on ball defender Lebron is. Look, he is 33, Lebron is 26…Lebron is where Dirk was when he was 26, so i think people should give him another shot. Dirk shot under 40 percent from the field in ’06…who’s talking about that? Dirk averaged somewhere around 7 boards this season(, which is pretty bad, considering he is a seven foot power forward), so what??? Just be a bit more patient…
Just wondering who’s your all time great list?
Lebron is amazing, and is a top 15 player no doubt in my mind. If he wants to become the king, like he self proclaimed, he has to prove himself clutch. Dirk is an unbelievable leader, with clutch abilities and an amazing shooting touch. He isn’t as athletic, or as good a defender or passer as Lebron you’re right, but he led his team to a win. That’s what counts a win. I’m so open to giving Lebron another shot, I never shot him down, just asked for him to improve. When Lebron develops, wow, he will be unstoppable. Nobody gets mad at Dirk for grabbing around 7 rebounds because he has proven himself as a power forward changer. He changed the position by not dominating by dunking, or rebounding, but by his unstoppable shots and diverse offensive abilities. He doesn’t play around the rim, therefore doesn’t grab as many rebounds. He does enough in other aspects of the game that 7 rebounds is enough. Like carrying most of the scoring load, and shutting down his match-ups.
Lebron and Dirk are both far away from being Top 15 player. My mistake, dunno why I didnt say that precisely in the other reply. Ah, I dont expect him to grap offensive rebounds, but hes gotta box outta better at some stages of the game. Because he can, if he wants to. He plays good team defensive, but average on ball defensive. Yes Dirk, is one of the more unique NBA players ever, but his play not being around the rim has nothing to do with his inability to grab rebounds.
Dirk for me is probably the third best Power Forward who has ever played the game (Behind Duncan and Malone). Yet we don’t really know how to rate Lebron. He clearly lacks the offensive abilities of MJ or Larry Bird, but he can still get hot quickly. Very good defense and excellent passing skills. And Lebron was a clutch player ( 45 points a game 7 against the Celtics or very solid down the stretch vs the Pistons)
I think Lebron to bring up a clutch moment from a past Lebron game doesn’t mean he is clutch, I’m writing in the present not the past. He wasn’t clutch in the finals. He was in the first few rounds but when the game got harder he shrunk.
Lebron will be win more times. He is a younger, and talent athlete in the world. We hope that, NBA will be more interesting, players will more talent after their combine. NBA have more Big 3s.
Kidd, Nowitsky are favourite players of mine, It was true victory. But, last final shows us, heat can win more times, and more tough team ever.
You’re right, Dirk’s had two finals appearances in 13 seasons, Lebrons had two in 8 seasons. Lebron will win I think 4+ championships, he is the best athlete in the world. Once he gets clutch in big situations and once the Heat become a team and play as one, the whole NBA season will be a breeze for Miami. And when they get Bosh involved consistently then they’ll be in the finals every year.
Jez Max, don’t be so one dimensional in your replies+articles…Makes a discussion more interesting and I dont wanna offend you in any why.
Well, your answer was hardly fitting to my comment…You are rarely backing your thoughts up with facts and some stuff you write is for me not conclusive….MAybe you can illustrate your points a little better. Because I just cannot see what you are getting at with your posts, especially with your “changes needed for the Miami Heat” post…