If, on the morning of May 31, you placed $100 down on the Dallas Mavericks winning the NBA Finals, you'd be collecting a return of $1,800 from the Vegas bookmakers today.
The Mavericks were an 18-1 afterthought prior to the start of the NBA Finals, the red carpet over which the Miami Heat would step to accept their crown. The assumption was that a team comprised of mostly 30 year olds didn't have the flash or fury to overcome the superstar triumvirate assembled in Miami 10 months ago when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade on South Beach.
But Sunday, as Wade and James flagged, the Mavericks clinched the first title in franchise history. The display was a dedication to teamwork, an example that the power of a collective body was more than the power of a single body. Below is a collection of pieces from around the country reflecting on Dallas' six-game victory.
Eddie Sefko, Dallas Morning News: The Mavericks clinched their first NBA title with victories over the Heat, Portland Trailblazers, Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder. In doing so, they were 4-0 with the chance to close out a series.
Brandon George, Dallas Morning News: Mark Cuban bought the Mavericks 11 years ago with the dream of bringing a championship to Dallas, until that point an historically unsuccessful franchise. Cuban built the Mavericks into a winner, one of the most consistent teams in the league. And, Sunday, finally delivered a championship. "There’s not a guy on our roster who hasn’t been doubted significantly for one reason or the other. And the fact that they were able to pull together, I mean, I’m just so [expletive] proud of them," Cuban told reporters.
John Hollinger, ESPN.com: Just as Cuban deserves credit for transforming the Mavericks into a winning franchise, coach Rick Carlisle deserves a hand for devising the formula to stop the Heat. Carlsisle, Hollinger writes, was pitch perfect in adjusting his team to beat the Heat.
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