It was 887 days ago.
Don't look now but it's been that long since the Mavericks lifted their only championship trophy. Sadly, it is also the last time they won a playoff game.
It was June 12, 2011 when Jason Terry scored 27 points, Dirk Nowitzki was named NBA Finals MVP and Mark Cuban shared a tear and a hug with Don Carter. Man, time flies when you’re having ... none.
Dallas returns to the pinnacle of its existence tonight when they play the Miami Heat in American Airlines Arena. To say the least, a lot has changed. On both teams.
Since that stinging Finals flop on their own home court, the Heat have won two consecutive championships and LeBron James has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest players of all time. The Mavericks? Um, they’ve turned into the Cowboys. Mediocre, with a past that trumps their present.
Only Nowitzki and Shawn Marion remain in uniform from that epic night on South Beach. Since winning Game 6 against the Heat they’re 82-78 including a four-game sweep to the Oklahoma City Thunder after the lockout-shortened ’11 season.
Since losing to the Mavs that night, James has led the Heat to four consecutive routs of the Mavs by an average of 15 points. In other words, dust off the championship DVD tonight if you want to enjoy a victory in Miami.
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A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently writes a sports/guy stuff blog at DFWSportatorium.com and lives in McKinney with his fiancee, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
