On Victory Plaza outside the American Airlines Center, it was a sequins, balloons and breakdance on the blue carpet kind of night.
But of all the ways for fans to pre-game, one stopped them in their tracks.
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WATCH HEREDirk Nowitzki, the one basketball player immortalized with a statue in front of the arena, the star of the 2011 NBA Championship team championship, was casually shooting hoops on the plaza.
“I love the Mavericks. I’ve loved them ever since I was about 12 or 13 with Dirk,” said Christina Esparza.
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SIGN UP Esparza came dressed for the occasion and explained the inspiration behind her outfit: a blue tutu skirt with cutout faces of Mavs players.
“When they actually work together, they are undefeatable,” Esparza said. “They can win this, and I still believe Mavs in six.”
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On a night to see and be seen, Dallas platinum-record recording artist Dorrough hit the spotlight after being invited by the Mavs to perform at halftime.
“To see the team get back to the championship means a lot because I’ve been watching for 13 years since the last time, and it’s hard to get to these moments," said "Ice Cream Paint Job" rapper Dorrough.
"It’s not easy to do. We worked hard to get here, and I just want to play my part and bring my energy to the Mavs, the organization, and the fans."
