NBA Champions ·
2011 Dallas Mavericks
Dallas won its first championship in 2011, beating the heavily favored Miami Heat in six games. Dirk Nowitzki averaged 26 points and took Finals MVP, then walked off the floor before the final buzzer because he was too emotional to stay. The Mavericks erased a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit in Game 2 to even the series and never trailed in it again.
The Mavericks were built around veterans. Jason Kidd ran the point at 38, Jason Terry scored off the bench, and Shawn Marion guarded the other team's best wing. The piece that changed them was Tyson Chandler, a center who turned a soft defense into a real one. Rick Carlisle coached them to 57-25.
Nowitzki was the offense. He averaged 26 points in the Finals and made a string of clutch shots, including the go-ahead basket in the Game 2 comeback from 15 down. He played Game 4 with a fever and scored 21 anyway. J.J. Barea and Terry gave Dallas scoring when the starters rested.
Miami was the favorite, in the first season of the LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh partnership. The Heat won Game 1 and led the series 2-1. Dallas then took three straight, closing it out in Miami in Game 6.
The result reversed the 2006 Finals, when these same franchises met and Miami won after Dallas had led 2-0. Five years later Nowitzki finally had his title, and the label that had followed him went away.
Championship roster
Featured in Ring Holders Club
| Player | Role | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Jason Kidd | PG | 80 |
| Jason Terry | SG | 80 |
| Shawn Marion | SF | 79 |
| Dirk Nowitzki | PF | 93 |
| Tyson Chandler | C | 80 |
| J.J. Barea | 6th man | 76 |
| Rick Carlisle | Coach | 86 |
Ratings are year-specific curated estimates for Ring Holders Club, not official NBA stats.
Rest of the roster
| Player | Pos | Note |
|---|---|---|
| DeShawn Stevenson | G | perimeter defender and spot-up shooter |
| Brendan Haywood | C | |
| Peja Stojakovic | F | veteran shooter added midseason |
| Corey Brewer | G/F | |
| Brian Cardinal | F | |
| Ian Mahinmi | C |