I'm trying to think of other players in any sport that made it back to the Finals at this level of play after generally having their careers written off. I think most levelheaded Mavs fans did not see this coming at all. I thought Dirks career would wind down like Barkley or Malone, where he had 1-2 great shots to win a title in his prime, couldn't finish the job, then never had the pieces fall into place again for another run despite still playing great. His legacy was going to benbuilt on longevity - being consistently great but not super elite for a long time. The window was closed.

But suddenly out of nowhere he has the opportunity to change his legacy again. He won't be favored to beat Lebron and Wade but the opportunity is right there to take. Sturm keeps bringing up John Elway, but I think Elway was too old and had Terrell Davis. Maybe Dr J 83 or Robinson 99, but they had Moses and Duncan arrive. Maybe Hakeem 94? Reggie Miller 00? Drexler 95?

I think you could make an argument that it's similar to Peyton Manning in 06' even though Peyton never made it to a title before then

[This message has been edited by aggie16 (edited 5/26/2011 1:52p).]

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after generally having their careers written off.

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Dirk hasn't been below All-NBA second team since 2004.

Last year he was 7th in MVP voting.
This year he was 6th in MVP voting.


How was his career written off?

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How was his career written off?

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Folding the very next year as the 1 seed (also as reigning MVP) in the 1st round.

Bowing out in the first round multiple times after that.

Maybe not everyone had written off Dirk's "career". But I think most people had written off the "Dirk as alpha dog" Mavericks team as a title contender. Even most Mavericks fans gave our team very little chance of getting past the 2nd round this year.

This is a lightning-in-a-bottle type of run we're seeing, mainly because Dirk has that "Kobe Look" in his eye.

[This message has been edited by Judge (edited 5/26/2011 2:07p).]

I don't think anyone had written of the franchise, because if there is anything Mark Cuban had shown us all - he will do anything it takes to build a championship team. (except resign Nash )

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How was his career written off?

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Are you kidding me? You've written a book on this site since 2007 on how a Dirk led team will never win a title. There wasn't anything else to add to his legacy other than longevity based stats like top 10 all time scorer, top 5 most all-NBA teams, etc

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I don't think anyone had written of the franchise, because if there is anything Mark Cuban had shown us all - he will do anything it takes to build a championship team. (except resign Nash

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Franchise =/= Dirk. If the Mavs get Deron Williams and win a title then he's just another superstar who needed another superstar to win it. not the same legacy

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This is a lightning-in-a-bottle type of run we're seeing

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I agree. Everything seems to be falling in place and the breaks are going the Mavs way. If it doesn't happen this year, it won't happen any time soon.

Number one seed Spurs got bounced early, Mavs caught the Lakers fat and happy, and got a full week's rest. The Spurs will be back, the Lakers will continue to be the Lakers, and I'm afraid OKC has all the parts in place to be good for the next decade. And that's just in the West.

The first year post-Lebron Heat will probably be their weakest team. And the Bulls aren't going anywhere either any time soon.

They have to do it this year.

And after 2010 summer the window for Dirk in his prime to find another sidekick superstar was rapidly shrinking

I think Dirk senses that too. Which is why he's playing out of his mind. It's this year or never for him (and most of the other guys on the team, like Kidd, Peja, Jet).

Peyton Manning is a good comp. "He can't even win a playoff game. He can't beat Brady. He can't win a title."

Looks like 32 year old Dirk near the end of his prime making a 2nd run to the Finals after a 4 year drought is the greatest Finals redemption story in NBA History. So I'll enjoy this for about 3 days.


Post-merger Superstars who had a multi-year gap between a Finals loss and another Finals appearance (and not counting way past their prime guys like Payton, KMalone, Kidd v1.0):

Dirk 2006 to 2011 (the best redemption story of the group)
Lebron 2007 to 2011 (but he needed to join Wade)
Shaq 1995 to 2000 (but he was only 22 the first time and 27 the 2nd - too young)
Ewing 1994 to 1999 (Hello Ewing Theory! - doesn't count when getting hurt for the year inspires your team to win without you)
Drexler 1990 to 1992 to 1995 (but in 1995 he was 2nd banana to Hakeem)
Hakeem 1986 to 1994 (but in 86 it wasn't his team - co-starred with Sampson)
Moses 1981 to 1983 (but he needed to join Dr J and the other all-stars on the Sixers)
Dr J 1977 to 1980 to 1982 to 1983 (but he needed to bring on Moses)

[This message has been edited by InternetFan02 (edited 5/26/2011 10:51p).]

Best article I've read on the redemption story so far

http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2011/05/26/now-its-nowitzki/

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Now It’s Nowitzki
Posted by Matt Moore on Thursday, May 26, 2011

The 2007 Mavericks were a great team. I’m not tossing that term out lightly. I’m not convinced to this day that the 2009 Los Angeles Lakers, who won the freaking title, were a great team. (The 2010 team was a great team, as was the 2011 team right up until about the time Chris Paul leaped up and stabbed them in the eye like Kratos.) But the 2007 Mavericks? That was a great team. Top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. The only other team to be so was the San Antonio Spurs. The Mavs were second on offense, fifth on defense, the Spurs second on defense, fifth on offense. The Mavericks, believe it or not, were better than the 2006 team that went to the Finals the year prior. They were deep. They were smooth. They were, yes, well coached. They were also fun as hell to watch. To this day, this remains the most fun I’ve ever had watching a game. It was one of those nights, where yes, it’s the regular season, but by God, it felt like May. The two teams were so locked in to beating one another, they were killing themselves trying to win that game. After that double-overtime joy fest, it seemed absolutely certain the Suns and Mavs were going to meet for the Western Conference Championship and the right to thump whatever chump came out of the East (LeBron James, step on down!).

That team was when Jerry Stackhouse was still able to produce, and Josh Howard was still considered a top-flight small forward. Jason Terry was the kind of scorer you trembled in fear at. Devin Harris was the young kid along for the ride and showing now and then why he would be the point guard of the future for Dallas after they won the title. Erick Dampier was a load, and not nearly as slow, still able to take rebounds and give fouls. And Dirk?

Dirk was Dirk. Like he’s never been. 2006 was a superior season in terms of raw production. But that 2007 Dirk was something else. He was still so furious about the Finals loss, and you could see it. Everyone scoffed at his MVP trophy, wanting to give it to Bryant, but Nowtizki dropped a 27.6 PER with a 61% True Shooting Percentage on 28.9% usage while the Mavericks won 67 games. SIX-TY-SEV-EN.

It was a masterful season. They were the best team in the league. Their path was set. Topple the first round opponent, like you do, face either the Jazz (O-VER-RA-TED) or the Rockets in a quality six-game semis, then the big one. Whoever survived out of the San Antonio-Phoenix bloodsport would be so battered and bruised, facing Dallas would be like going into the thresher after a car wreck. Beat the crap out of whatever East team came out (hopefully Miami), and forget 2006 ever happened.

And then…

That ******* Warriors team.

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That’s how the story was going to end. Dirk goes down with an MVP, underrated by most, talked of in writer’s lunches and on podcasts, always anchored by the collapse in the 2006 Finals and the greatest season that ever ended in disaster.

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It was supposed to be about Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson getting the three-peat to ride off into the sunset. It was supposed to be about L.A. cementing itself as the greatest again. If not, it was supposed to be about the old Spurs putting in one last ride (even if their defense was a weak-ass miniature pony running into fenceposts). If not, it was surely supposed to be about the Thunder, and the arrival of Kevin Durant with Russell Westbrook his Robin.

No.

Nope.

Nuh-uh.

Now?

Now It’s Nowitzki.

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Interesting how the same posters who have proudly claimed their basketball intelligence by pointing out even this season how the Mavs didn't have a chance this post-season given their record the last couple of months of the regular season against teams with winning records, now are trying to rewrite their own history.

If he wins, Elway (the QB, not the band), but if he loses, Jim Kelly.

Probably better comparisons.

[This message has been edited by Iowaggie (edited 5/29/2011 7:57p).]

Just checked again looking for Jason Kidd comps. All I could find was Malone and Payton 2004. Looking for superstars not on my list above who made it to the Finals, never won and then made the Finals again when they were past their prime. So this Jason Kidd redemption story is very unique as well.

John Elway is probably the best comparison

Yeah, the biggest difference between Kidd and Payton/Malone is that Kidd has a much bigger role on this team than those two did on the 2004 Lakers.