Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks are coming off of their best season in franchise history. They had their 11th straight 50+-win season that was capped off with the ultimate victory: The 2011 NBA Championship. The Mavs steamrolled through the playoffs, knocking out foes with reckless abandon. They swept the perennial champion Los Angeles Lakers, and exacted revenge upon the Miami Heat to take the title.

This seemingly miraculous feat would not have been possible without the key acquisition of one Tyson Chandler, who quickly became the team’s emotional leader when he was traded to Dallas in the summer of 2010. With his high-octane attitude and talent to back it up, the Mavericks found a new defensive presence that had been lacking in previous seasons.

They had some hiccups along the way, namely the season-ending injury of Caron Butler, who tore his patellar tendon after showing signs of having one of his best seasons yet. The team rallied, however, and leaned on their bench for support. Sixth man Jason Terry found himself among the best fourth-quarter players in the league, and Jose Juan (JJ) Barea finished the season out strong, providing an inside game where there previously was none.

And how could we forget the man, the legend, the Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki? We couldn’t. After last season, in his free agency, he made the decision to remain loyal and true to the only team he had ever played for, and in doing so he took less money so that owner Mark Cuban could try and put together a solid supporting cast. He played some of the most beautiful basketball of his career as he single-handedly (literally and figuratively) carried the Mavericks through the playoffs into the winner’s circle. He firmly entrenched himself among the game’s greatest, showing a quiet determination and resolve rarely seen in professional sports.

Whether or not there is an NBA season this year remains to be seen, but Dallas fans aren’t too distressed because the lockout means that our old players like Dirk and Jason Kidd can let their weary bones heal from an exhausting season. Not to mention the Mavericks get to be World Champs for even longer! The number one goal before the league resumes play (whenever that may be) is to re-sign Tyson Chandler. After that it would be nice if they could keep Caron Butler, but we have no idea what this lockout will do to their ability to afford their own players.

Regardless of what the future holds, right now is a pretty sweet time to be a Dallas Mavericks fan. Our storybook season may have come to a close in June, but the pride we feel for our team won’t soon fade away.