2011 Dallas Mavericks

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.

Looking back, 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 starting five was Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, and Tyson Chandler. Rick Carlisle coached the group with J.J. Barea as the primary bench scorer.

The full roster ran deeper than the headline names. Role players who mattered included DeShawn Stevenson (perimeter defender and spot-up shooter); Peja Stojakovic (veteran shooter added midseason).

The 2011 title came in the modern era of load management, threes, and switch-heavy defense. The Dallas Mavericks still had to win four series, usually against teams built to contend rather than tank.

The Dallas Mavericks have only this one title in the record covered on Ring Holders Club. That makes the 2011 run the whole of the franchise's championship story in our archive.

Looking back, 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.

For the full roster beyond the featured starters, see the table on this page. For other Dallas Mavericks titles, use the franchise hub linked below.