The 2011 NBA Finals is the most significant mark on the career of LeBron James. LBJ has achieved a lot in his career, but his failure to win the title in his debut year with the Miami heat seems to always follow him around. Out of all the Finals series LeBron has lost in his career, the one against the 2011 Dallas Mavericks is one he should have won.
The Mavericks, led by Dirk Nowitzki, won a famous championship over the Miami Heat and LeBron in 2011, a remarkable story for the underdogs. While LeBron would rebound from that by winning consecutive NBA titles in 2012 and 2013, he revealed that he still feels burned by that series in 2022.
"That s— burns me to this day."
LeBron James recalls Dirk’s Mavs historic Game 2 comeback in the 2011 Finals. #MFFL
— MavsMuse (@MavsMuse) October 2, 2022
“I remember Dallas. D-Wade hit a 3 right by their bench to put us up 13 or 17. From that moment on, Dallas went on a hell of a run and finished us off with a Dirk Nowitzki left-hand layup and killed the game. That sh*t burns me to this day.”
Should Fans Continue To Hold The 2011 Finals Against LeBron James?
The 2011 NBA Finals was a massive letdown and something we never see from superstar-level players. LeBron fell victim to the expectations he set for the world, as he opened his Miami Heat career by promising the fanbase multiple championships. Everyone took the Mavericks losing in that Finals for granted, even though the Mavs had dominated the Western Conference thoroughly.
Dallas swept the Los Angeles Lakers eyeing a three-peat that playoff run and that team is generally underrated. They beat LeBron just as much as LeBron struggled to compete against them.
When a player like James is being compared to Michael Jordan, a loss like the 2011 Finals will forever sting him because MJ went 6-0 in the Finals. LeBron has gone 4-6, with the other 5 losses still being explainable due to weak or injured teams. However, LBJ will never be able to move past the 2011 Finals failure if his goal is to be looked at as the GOAT of basketball when he retired.
