The 2011 championship run for the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki is one of the most heartwarming runs in recent memory. The Mavs swept the Lakers with Kobe Bryant in a three-peat year, beat the emerging Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook Thunder, and ultimately, beat the Miami Heat big three in the Finals.
The 2011 Finals is the lowest point of LeBron James’ career. JJ Barea revealed to JJ Redick that Dirk was playing through actual hate and dislike for the Heat and their big three of LBJ, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
“He hated Miami. He hated LeBron, Wade, and Bosh. He’s never gonna say that but he couldn’t stand them. He got ready for it and that year, he doesn’t talk much, he leads by example. That year, in timeouts, before the games, halftime, he would talk. He would talk loud, and point fingers, he was on one. He was special, he had a different mindset that year.”
Nowitzki averaged 27.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists in that playoff run. He averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists against the Heat in the Finals and made playoff history by averaging 9.9 points in the fourth quarter of an NBA Finals series, the highest average since 1997.
Dirk Nowitzki Made History As The First European Superstar In The NBA
The NBA had seen sensational European players before Nowitzki’s emergence. Aryvdas Sabonis, Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, and more were very good NBA players from Europe. But the emergence of Nowitzki as a superstar who won an MVP, Finals MVP, and a championship re-wrote what it takes to be a European superstar.
Giannis Antetokounmpo has matched many of Dirk’s accomplishments and could retire with that crown. Nikola Jokic can do the same if the Nuggets win the 2023 Finals. A blueprint left by Nowitzki has been executed successfully by European stars that came after him. With Luka Doncic and Victor Wembanyama also hoping to reach those levels of success, it is going to be a Euro-dominated NBA for the next few years.
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