DALLAS MAVERICKS - 2011 NBA CHAMPIONS

Some call it revenge. Many others call it redemption. There's even a select few that'll say it's an eye for an eye. However you view it, the situation was five years in the making for the Dallas Mavericks, and it paid off.

A season that began with the Miami Heat celebrating the signings of Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and LeBron James—along with the promise of championships—ended on the very same floor, with the Mavericks hoisting the championship trophy for the first time in their franchise history after beating the Heat, 105-95. The Mavericks won four of the series’ last five games, a turnabout that could not have been sweeter, especially for Dirk Nowitzki, who had 21 points and despite still fighting a cold, took home the NBA Finals MVP honors.

Nowitzki, along with Jason Terry, who led the Mavs with 27 points, were the two remaining players from the Dallas team that lost to Miami in the 2006 finals.



The city of Dallas are not the only ones celebrating the Mavs' victory. Nowitzki's home country of Germany are joining in on his long-awaited triumph and no doubt very proud of their native son.

Also involved in the celebration is the city of Cleveland, who felt betrayed by LeBron James when he chose to be in Miami in the offseason, after getting the Cavaliers to NBA championship contention the past few years. Cleveland, as well as many other cities, portrayed James as the villian and the defection was so severe that even Cavs' owner Dan Gilbert declared that his team would win a title before he did. At least for one more year, his prophecy still stands.



Former Detroit Pistons coach and current Mavs coach Rick Carlisle joined a highly elite group, those with NBA titles as both a player and a head coach. Only 10 other men are on that list, including the presumably retired-for-good Phil Jackson, one of Carlisle’s mentors in K.C. Jones, and Heat President Pat Riley—who led Miami past Dallas in 2006.



After 17 years in the league, Jason Kidd, at 38 years old, got his first championship. Nowitzki got his at 32, and Terry at 33. They were featured on the video screen in their building in Dallas during this series on what seemed like a constant loop, each posing with the NBA trophy and looking longingly at it, standing mere inches from it, as if to say “so close, yet so far away.” No more.



All that's left now for the Mavericks is to go back home to Dallas where their fans will greet them as heroes, Mark Cuban will no doubt plan a big victory party either this week or this coming-up weekend, Nowitzki will continue to eat soup to get over his sickness, and a parade that'll last all day and perhaps all night. Congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks on becoming NBA champions for the first time in history!