Moving on from last year's epic 7 games NBA Finals between the rivalry of Lakers-Celtics, we arrive to this season's climax the Finals. The same hype, the same thrill, same drama, same rivalry story, but the rivals from last year aren't back for this year's finals contest. Instead, a new rivalry that started 5 years ago returns to the spotlight and faces off to determine this year's 2011 Champs. This time, the West is represented by a German lead, veteran team of Dallas Mavericks will face the East's representative, the star studded Miami Heat. The two teams will battle it out as a rematch of 2006's NBA Finals where the Heat burned the Mavericks in six games.
To further understand the Finals 2011 series, lets dissect the two teams in opposite corners.
First off, the Western Conference Champs, Dallas Mavericks.
For the Dallas, the past experience of the finals was a bitter one. After leading 2-0 lead, the Mavs succumbed to the Heat after 4 games. For Dirk and Jason Terry, the only two members who was with the Mavs' 06 Finals team, the experience was both a should be forgettable and a fuel to remind them of bitter taste if they walk out the finals empty handed.
"Yeah, it's been a long stretch here," Nowitzki said. "Been trying to get back to this stage ever since and fell short a bunch of times. But this is a bunch of veterans who want to play and are unselfish." 1
Another sad ending for the Mavs is guard Jason Kidd's Finals story. The 2001-2003 season with the New Jersey Nets, the stellar season runs for Kidd ended in a sad note after being defeated by the Lakers and the Spurs consecutively. With the addition of veteran Forward Shawn Marion, young center Tyson Chandler, DeShawn Stevenson, the Mavs' core is locked and loaded.
"I think in training camp we knew we had the pieces," said Terry. "Last season when when we made the trade for Brendan Haywood, Caron Butler and DeShawn Stevenson, we thought with that team we would do it. But it was steps that needed to be taken."1
Sure enough, this veteran and well tuned Dallas team entered this season's playoffs as third seed entry tied the 2-time back-to-back champions, LA Lakers at the end of the regular season. Their path along the playoffs was indeed a hard fought one.
Like overcoming a loss with a blown 23-point lead in the first round against Portland. Steps like annihilating the two-time defending champion Lakers with a 4-0 sweep in the second round. Steps like out-fighting, outsmarting and outlasting the young and talented Thunder.1
"Well, I mentioned we've got a bunch of experienced guys, a bunch of veterans," Nowitzki said. "Everybody has kind of unique stories on this team."1
"Second chance," said Terry. "That's us."1
That is the Dallas Mavericks.
On the Far opposite end of the ring, is the 2011 Eastern Conference Champions, the Miami Heat. Ten months ago, the whole basketball world was shocked about convergence of three young superstars in Miami. Ten months ago, LeBron James made The Decision that made him Cleveland's number one enemy. Ten months ago, this union of stars gave birth to a much more scarier BIG THREE than that of the Celtics aging big three. With all the ruckus ten months ago, this Miami Heat team was clear from the start: with these stars, win another ring and hoist the championship trophy this June.
But all that Decision didn't just made Lebron a much more popular player, rather, his critics just stacked up.
The Legion Against LeBron is most famously led by three in particular: Mark Cuban, the mouthy Mavericks owner who bashed LeBron's decision to bolt Cleveland and took noticeable glee in the Heat's early-season struggles. Charles Barkley, the funniest and most influential basketball commentator on the planet, has always complimented LeBron's skill while never resisting a chance to tweak LeBron's shortcomings. And Dan Gilbert, the Cavaliers owner who boldly predicted his team would win a title before LeBron and just last week, after the Bulls won the first game of the Eastern Conference finals, remarked: "Have to say, I'm enjoying it."
There's more. Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck, his injured team pummeled by LeBron in the semis, recently appeared on Boston radio and said: "I want Miami to lose so badly. I'm rooting hard against the Heat," which means he's not a LeBron guy. Neither is DeShawn Stevenson, the Mavericks' starting guard who three years ago called LeBron "overrated" and could be thrown into the mix of players to guard LeBron this series.2
Those were just some of the famous critics of Bron, some many more adding up when he goes traveling and plays on road and the crowd just adds up.
Early this season the Heat's Big three with early failures, their critics just got louder. The first game loss to the Celtics, Bron's homecoming to Cleveland, with the whole Cleveland booing for him, the Heat was in a rocky and a loud start.
Slowly picking up the steam, the Heat and their big three, climb the standings slowly and solving their chemistry.
In the middle of the year, the Heat, packed with the stars, registered more wins than losses and finally ending up as 2nd seed 2nd to the east top, Chicago Bulls. On their path to the playoffs, the heat first met the 76ers. Finishing the 76ers in 5 games. Next up as their opponents is the last year's finals runner ups, the Boston Celtics. As many perceived it, the Cs would be a tough match up for the Heat. But as hungry as wild lions longing for an antelope, the Heat, had the Cs number and had a commanding 3-0 series lead. Unlike the Mavs stunning upset of the defending champs of a 4-0 sweep, the Cs took one game before losing to the younger big three in five games. And the Heat was just 4 wins away from the finals.
Then, there was the Bulls.
The Chicago Bulls was the next in their list. This time, the eastern conference championship was a battle between the the young bulls lead by this season's MVP Derrick Rose and the Heat's big three. As everyone saw, the Bulls first drew the first blood for the series. But the Heat, bounced back and swept the Bulls in four games, with a game 5 clutch performance from LeBron James and Dwayne Wade late in the fourth quarter. Now, on Wednesday (Tuesday in US), they will host the visiting West Champions as the 2011 finals begins.
Sure the Mavs have bitter stories with finals, but how bout the Heat? They have some.
James' first appearance of the Finals in 2004 was also ended in a bitter taste sweep against the Spurs. Bosh, this is his first time to be this far in post season, not to mention his starvation of an NBA Title. For Wade and Haslem the only 2 heat players who's with the team in their first title run, this is a defense. With the Mavs hungry to erase their 2006 loss to the Heat, its Wade and Haslem's job give the newbies the101 about the Match up against the Mavs.
For the Heat, this title run is just doing what they planned to do from the start, the reason they created this heat super trio: To win a ring and bring home the title back to South beach for a nice tan.
I personally, rooting for the Heat.
The 2011 NBA Finals Wed in Philippines, morning. You know where to watch it. Let see who's taking home the trophy.
1- (http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/fran_blinebury/05/25/thunder-mavs-game5/?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
2 -(http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/shaun_powell/05/29/lebron-james-feature/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1)
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