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Mavs win title over Heat - @TreyEckloff55 got his wish: the Dallas Mavericks are the NBA champions. I had assumed that LeBron and the Heat would respond after their game 4 collapse, but the Mavs put the hammer down, shooting an incredible 24-45 from three over the final two games to rather easily walk away with the title. Questions will hound the Heat, but Dallas did everything they needed to do in order to win and earned the championship.
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| I'm pleased with the result. Dallas are deserving champions. |
The credit has to fall on the gargantuan Teutonic shoulders of series MVP Dirk Nowitzki. He fought through illness and a torn tendon in his left hand to consistently provide superior performances when his team needed him the most. Besides a picture perfect finger-roll to win game 2 (with his injured hand, no less), he also averaged over 10 points/4th quarter, equaling the combined output of LBJ and Dwyane Wade in the final frames of the series. Dirk got his title, and became only the 4th foreign born player to win finals MVP to boot; not too bad for a guy once regarded as too soft to win it all.
Schadenfreude at its finest - Speaking of guys who don't seem to have what it takes to win it all, LeBron James once again finds himself on the losing end of a finals. The King didn't exactly acquit himself of the charges of style over substance over the past two weeks, as his abysmal late game performances probably cost the Heat any chance of winning the series. His second half play was fraught with deferential passes and awkward stretches of time where he seemed to have disappeared from the court entirely. It struck me as if James was playing the role of the classic mercenary; physically in the fight, but lacking the will or heart of a true believer. How else do you explain his passionless efforts in the face of defeat?
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| Where did LeBron go? |
He had the team he wanted in the place he wanted to be, and yet could only muster a total of 18 4th-quarter points in the 6 game series. This was his chosen destination where his talents would expectantly flourish, and yet, when it mattered most, he appeared to be a shrinking violet. I'd love to say it was something the Mavs did, but the Mavs weren't forcing him to pass out of open looks or ignore empty driving lanes. Only LeBron stopped LeBron in this series. As a fan of the sport, I feel deprived of the greatness he can achieve when he seems to give a shit; as a LeBron h8r, I feel vindicated by his soulless failure. Regardless, he's going to have to sit on his hands for 3 months knowing that his team might've won had he spent more time scoring, and less time mocking those who were.
Cuban gets his ring - The boisterous money behind the Dallas title, owner Mark Cuban, was surprisingly quiet during the playoffs this year. I had chalked it up to not wanting to put his foot in a mouth that might otherwise suckle on the teat of victory, but even after the victory last night he still chose to stay in the background, deferring the trophy presentation to founding Mavericks owner Don Carter and dodging any questions from ESPN's Stu Scott, in order to keep the focus on his title-winning team. He kept his mouth shut, saved a little money, and got his title; I'm assuming he'll say it was worth it now that he's granting interview requests again.
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| I'm generally happy for the guy I perceive to be the best owner in sports. |
Out of all the owners in professional sports, Cuban is the one I'd most like running a team I root for. He seems to actually care, not only about wins and losses, but of the fans experience as a whole. I actually liked seeing videos of him yelling at refs and chumming it up with the players. It may have been uncouth, but at least it showed some heart. If sports is a business, I at least want the ability to pretend that it isn't, and Cuban affords me that opportunity.. He's now got a ring to back up his bravado and style.
Happy Monday!
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