Dirk Nowitzki: 1 LeBron James: 0
The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA title in franchise history, beating the Heat 4-2 in a series that contained both drama and class. (For once, I was rooting for a Dallas team. I guess for basketball it is different.)
The drama was started by none-other-than the duo of James and Wade. Cameras caught them mocking Nowitzki before game five by faking their coughs and laughing as they walked into the stadium. This came from a guy (Wade) who had to get wheel-chaired off the court because of a shoulder injury and another (James) who whines to the refs for a foul every time he drives to the basket.
Before James came to Miami, Wade never was criticized for his controversial actions. Wade was a soft-spoken man who played and acted with class. James' demeanor has now caught on to Wade as well as Bosh and the rest of the Miami Heat. This may be a reason why they are considered the villains of the NBA.
Nowitzki was upset to find out about the mocking and thought of it as immature and disrespectful. His response, however, was not to get caught up with the drama and just let his play do the talking; now that's class at its finest.
Nowitzki's play set the tone for the series. This series will be remembered in the NBA films memorabilia as Nowitzki hitting huge shots in crunch time and propelling his team to their first NBA title.
With a possible NBA lockout looming in the off-season, the Heat may not have the luxury of having the big three together for another year. So for James, it is either finding a new team with an All-Star squad or staying in Miami and trying to win a championship in order to keep his Michael Jordan comparisons alive. On the other hand, Nowitzki's Larry Bird correlations are certainly still in tact.
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