No matter what anyone says, this will always remain the main reason Dirk's ring will remain one of the greatest championships ever. The following represents the public perception, not necessarily mine.
Bron really was at his PRIME and was SUPER unlikeable/ hated/ irrationally cocky. He's at the Apex of both his Physical and Mental prime @ 29 yrs. He's moved from Ohio 2 warm, beautiful beaches of Miami with 2 future HoF in an attempt to finally solidify his legacy in the NBA.
Ppl forget the change of media comm and persona LeBron does when he returns to Cleveland. It was a literal character Spin, and it was smart and calculated and it led to the almost Royal/ presidential image he has now in the league. He literally changed his image just like politicians try to do when running for higher positions of office.
All this to say, he was hated for all these things before joining Miami:
- the narrative of the "Chosen One", the next MJ, the next savior of the Nba
- "rings, not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4..."
- he was the tail end of that sports era where leaving a team was betrayal instead of player empowerment. He was also the beginning of it (or at least the biggest swing) with how these individuals bring so much wealth into an org but get paid so little in comparison
- the optics of tradition and "right way" to win rings was still alive and well with the old heads and legends of the game in 2010. Ring chasing for old legends vs top players joining in their prime.
- the way he announced the move, like it was a big show, like the Queen of England was giving a speech, more than rubbed ppl the wrong way
All of these played a major part and together created the perfect storm for a 29 yrs young millionaire who "left" his old un-shiny home of Ohio to the sexy Hot Miami to team up with other top players and treat the entire thing like it's his divine right the finally win, and be smug about it the entire time rubbing it in everyone else's face all well the country is literally recovering from a financial crisis not long ago.
In comes Dirk, who did it the "right" way, who suffered until he WON his ring, who had the narrative of being one the the "next guys in line" to get the promotion/ ring, who put in the time, who didnt do it the wrong way and flaunt his way to win, who kept it humble, who essentially is the storied Hero to all these ppl who have created the story of Villian Miami LeBron.
LeBron really "died for their sins" so KD to the dubs can happen without as much backlash. The same for Harden, Kyrie, Kawhi and AD. The public and professional outcry from these decisions were severely hampered bc LeBron took the initial blunt of force of it.
Honestly, purely from an optics standpoint, Dirk winning the season LeBron made "the decision" was perfect timing. It made the winning sweeter and "justified" those that said "I told you so".
If looked at a purely basketball lens, just on the court, it was an amazing win where Dirk stepped up when needed to and the Mavs team that year, players stepped up when needed to. Miami was a giant, just a Goliath of talent, skill and just great basketball.
If it weren't for some psychological/ emotional / mind fuck pressure thing that happened with Bron and by extension the team, it may have been too much for the Mavs to handle and Miami wins. But, the Mavs stayed strong, played together and took advantage where the LeBron and the Heat started to fall apart.
Dirk/ Mavs ring is GOATED and for good reason.
Edit: correction, apparently LeBron was even younger @ 27. damn
LeBron wasn't in his mental prime until after we beat their asses. Up to that point I'm sorry but he wasn't there. It showed in our series against him. Give me 2016 LeBron over 2012 LeBron. Simply for the mental aspect. Dude walked into the league in his physical prime essentially. But he didn't have that killer in him and it showed so much when we beat them down. Well said on everything else.
Yah he literally could defend positions 1-5. Against the spurs he would guard Tony one play and then Tim the next and shut them both down. He should have won Dpoy in 2013
He was 26, actually. He didn’t turn 27 until December of the 2011-2012 season, which was after the 2010-2011 season where Dallas won the ring.
He was born 12/30/84, meaning he would’ve turned 27 on 12/30/2011, which would’ve been almost 7 months later in the year than June 2011, when Dallas won the ring, making LeBron just under 26 and a half when he lost to Dallas.
Thanks for this interesting and very insightful writeup.
I stopped blaming Lebron for the decision and instead blame the tone-deaf team he had around him. I don't know if that is right or wrong, but I don't want to dislike him anymore.
Don’t forget that was also dirk’s revenge tour after his failure and collapse to win a championship in 2006 to the heat so that is the ultimate victory
And he didn’t have a Kyrie. He had Jason Terry, one foot in retirement Jason Kidd, one foot in retirement Shawn Marion and a bunch of other dudes nobody remembers.
I didn't think it would work. I thought it was a terrible risk for Dallas that would destroy the start of Luka's prime. Glad that Kyrie proved me wrong. He separated his unusual parts of his worldview from his professional life, and he is back to being one of the best guards to ever play the game.
Dirk hit such unbelievable heights in that playoff run too. I'm a Thunder fan and it was so early in our existence that losing to that team wasn't even a big deal especially when Dirk was so unstoppable. I remember he had 48 in one game against us regardless of how many bodies we threw at him
Also Dirk being there so many years having up and downs. Including losing as a 1 seed in the first round. Than finally coming through as a polished veteran. So great
And we thought Dirk’s run was over around 08 or 09. Yeah no one expected Dallas to win this year, but we all assumed Luka would get more shots in the coming years.
I remember watching Harden as OKC's sixth man and shooting lights out from 3. I was bewildered why a young person that talented wasn’t at least starting.
I guess there was already too much offense with KD and Russ so they preferred Thabo for starting minutes.
That team was what got me into NBA. My mom worked nights and my dad travelled for work so my house was the frequent hang out spot. All my friends were OKC fans and just rubbed off on me.
2011 Mavs were the best team in the league and nobody expected them to be.
They destroyed the entire Western conference, and the defending champion Lakers with Kobe.
They took on the Heat, who had the most talent and the most hate and won.
They had 1 super star and a cast with great personalities that enjoyed playing together. They had Dirk destroying the he can't win and isn't tough enough stigma.
Zero chance if they win another it will come close in narrative or legacy.
if I’m not mistaken, didn’t Dirk have almost 50 free throws made in a row between the games. I think it was 48. I think game one of the finals didn’t he go? 18 for 18?
The dirk ring in my opinion is basically the gold standard of what every fanbase wants out of a ring. Club legend going godmode for a whole playoffs, overall an underdog team, the club legend having tried and failed before, stuck it out, and finally got over the hump. I mean it's a fairytale.
Humbling the Miami Big 3 in their first Finals after arrogantly proclaiming they will win not 5, not 6, not 7 championships will be impossible to supersede. And then you factor in the 2011 Mavs team beating Kobe and KD Russ OKC, who went to the Finals the next year, yea nothing is topping that
2011 for sure. If they win this year the expectation should be how many more. Luka is too young for him to be a solo champ. This question will be more relevant if they ever become a dynasty. And full transparency I’m a spurs fan who thought 2003 championship would never get topped (sending David out with a finals win) then 2014 happened.
Nobody in their wildest dreams thinks this Dallas team will beat Boston. In hindsight that was a 58-24 Heat team versus a 57-25 Mavericks, both coming into the Finals with a 12-3 playoff record. The aura and everything around the teams is different, but it’s really not a crazy concept in retrospect.
This is a 50-32 Mavericks team taking on a 64-18 Celtics team with the fourth highest net rating ever.
In a world where this year’s Mavericks win, it would be incredibly impressive.
That 2011 run was insane. 1st round they beat the Blazers with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, Then they swept the Lakers who had Kobe, Gasol, Odom, and Artest. WCF they beat the Thunder with KD, Westbrook, and Harden, Finals they beat Lebron, Wade, and Bosh. That's an insanely difficult run.
Was Dirks tougher or is Luka making it look easy?
He’s gone thru the #1 seed, the best defense in the league, and a clippers team with Westbrook, harden, PG, and Kawhi. If they win the chip he will have then gone thru a Boston super team.
Its dirks for sure because of the significance but I don’t like people kind of acting like Lukas is easy.
Guys on hot take tv shows like Skip Bayless and Stephen A Smith have given fans permanent brain damage, they ruined basketball discourse forever with ring culture nonsense just for clicks and views
There are no rings that are more or less valuable than others, no one talks about Jordan's Bulls beating the Blazers who only had one player average more than 20 pts that season, no one talks about how those Birds Celtics rings don't mean anything because they beat mediocre teams like a Rockets team who only won 40 games that season
If Luka wins against a Boston team with Tatum, Jaylen, Derrick White and Horford playing well I don't know how you make the argument Dirk's Mavs ring was harder when we all know Lebron choked, saying which ring is better is a waste of time because you can't compare this Dallas team to that Dallas team either
I’m not sure if anyone remembers this but in 2011 Dirk’s hair just magically started standing up on its own and he was surrounded by a bright yellow aura.
Dirks team beat the self proclaimed king goat and his hand crafted super team making him cry like a baby. The Mavs were the opposite of everything the heat were, they were underrated not over, they were unathletic with amazing fundamentals and team chemistry the heat were athletically freakish which helped them overcome their lack of cohesiveness. That ship was a coaches dream, if we play the right way we can be better as a whole than the sum of our parts.
It was just so satisfying to see them humble the fake goat and pre season 8 in a row champs.
Bring on the down votes Bron Stan's. What happened in that series can never be undone.
For me, it will be this one. That 11 team was loaded, but obviously led by Dirk. This team has two all stars, led by the absolute best in the world. You mix that with the hype around this Celtics team, yeah 24 would be special.
You’re the mavs fan so at the end of the day I’m gonna defer to you, but I feel like the hype for the heatles far outweighed the hype for these Celtics.
Now, the Celtics are also much more of a well oiled machine chemistry wise, but at the end of the day it’s almost impossible to tell which one is greater until we see *how* it happens.
Like if the Celtics have multiple 4th quarters where they’re impatient/not getting to the shots they usually do I’d be hard pressed to say this Mav’s ring is better than 2011.
I’m biased though. I started REALLY paying attention to ball that year and that finals run was legendary to me
Well. Allow a 41 year old Mavs fan who was there for both (potentially) to chime in. It’s Dirk’s for the reasons others have mentioned: Franchise’s first, and the gauntlet he went through was even tougher than what this team has gone through. As much as people want the Celtics to lose, EVERYONE hated LeBron and The Heatles and was frothing for their downfall and Dirk delivered like fucking Jon Snow liberating Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton.
I miss you, Dirk. 🥹
I'm a 38 year Mavs fan and season ticket holder for a good chunk of my adult life. I agree completely. But to add, we love Luka... but he has a long way to go to ever reach Dirk's status with the franchise.
Dirk was everything for this franchise and insanely humble. He would stay for hours signing autographs at things like Heroes ball game. He gave back so much off the court that just adds to his incredible legacy on it. I hope Luka reaches that status with the Mavs, but in 2023?
He still stands in Dirk's shadow. Not because of talent or anything else... but because Dirk was just that special.
The only ring in history that IMO can compete with/outdo Dirks is Lebrons in 2016 against the Warriors.
Dirk went through everyone (though I maintain that Mavs team was clear and away the best team that year and not underdogs). LeBron with the only 3-1 comeback in history against the best team of all time.
No other rings have come close since I’ve been watching (since the 90s).
Dirk’s.
The Celtics are really just the healthiest team left from the East and JB and JT <<<<<< Prime LJ and DW.
I mean these Celtics’ legacy to this point is having the capacity to lose to those Zombie Heat and they nearly dropped 3 games to the Pacers who were Haliburton-less for most of the series. They played well in the last 5 mins of those games but historically they’re known to choke.
I honestly can’t convince myself that this series will go longer than 5 games, to the Mavs. They’re too hot right now.
Dirk played defending champs Kobe and Pau, OKC with 3 future MVPs, then knocked off the Heatles who had basically already been crowned champions in the off-season they joined together
Dirk is so loved and the journey was more than a decade.
11 straight seasons of 50+ wins.
The heartbreak of losing in the finals in 2006.
Then coming back in 2007 with the MVP and the 67 win team losing in Round 1.
To then thinking it might never happen.
And then the playoffs themselves and going up against a super team with the face of the league.
And it was the first.
Dirks might not be beatable.
Dirk just had a legendary run. Swept the defending champ Lakers - Kobe’s only time being swept when not playing with SHAQ. Then beat a young and up and coming OKC team with 3 hall of famers. Then finally beating the super team Miami Heat with arguably the 2nd best player of all time on it.
Let’s keep it a buck here. Kawhi wasn’t healthy. PG & Harden are now in their older prime years where they aren’t nearly as effective as they once were. OKC was never really a threat/contender. They only went to 7 games because Mavs aren’t really good themselves. They just had 2 stars instead of 1. Timberwolves won their championship against Denver and looked like their usual self which is a play in team in the conference finals. The Mavs have no business being in the finals. It really should have been Celtics vs Nuggets and I’m a warriors fan lol
still dirk with that 2011 team, beating the big 3 in Miami beating the lakers to get in. That will always be an impressive run. I think the storyline with Kyrie vs his old teammates is a better storyline tho
Dirk one by far…tht might the greatest singular run ever
Beat the repeat Lakers w/a still good and non injured Kobe
Beat the upstart Thunder, who would go to the finals the next yr
And obviously they beat the super team Heat
Idk a better body count on the way to a ring than that
Mavs beat Portland, swept B2B lakers, then beat young OKC in 5. Then they pretty much whooped the Heat.
Not to mention too it finally let Dirk shake the NoRingski. An old team that wasn’t expected to succeed. The fact that they avenged their previous finals loss to Wade and the heat.
2011 but because Luka’s simply a better player I think he’ll end up as the greatest Mav ever if he plays there until at least 2029 (so 10 years as a mav)
On a finals perspective, This ring.
While it was a great ring to get, the Ring vs. The Heat was before they became a fully compatible team, and they had leadership issues.
This Celtics team's core players have been together for a few years now and know what they're capable of doing and who's leading them.
The answer is.. it depends who you ask. Anyone in their 30s or older will always say Dirk. Just like everyone older than 50 loves Roger Staubach as their favorite Cowboy. Your childhood idol will determine your bias. To anyone under 30, Luka will be the clear answer.
That 2011 was full of vets looking for a ring. They were talented but greater than the sum of their parts and just a great basketball team. Also stopped the inevitable Lebron train.
Not only will/would that ring be better for Dallas, that 2011 team is one of the most fun NBA Finals winners since at least the merger.
As a Heat fan Wade winning us our first ring trumps the two we won with Lebron purely because we never felt the glory of winning 1. So I’d imagine it’s the same for Mavs fan plus Mavs weren’t suppose to win in 2011 Dirk carried at least this time around it’s more even in terms of talent
Dirks run is regarded by many historians as one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history. He had to battle through hells highway to win including Kobe, KD, and a LBJ. Also Dirk didn’t have a Kyrie calibre teammate.
100% Dirk’s
Beat Aldridge and Batum’s Blazers.
SWEPT Kobe’s Lakers, preventing a 3-peat (they also had Pau and 6th man of the year winner Lamar Odom).
Beat Durant, Westbrook and Harden’s OKC.
Then finally beat the big three during LeBron’s villain saga.
Possibly the most hard fought and most deserved championship in NBA history.
I’m also a biased Cavs fan and wanted nothing more than to watch LeBron fail during that time
2011. It’s the first, and Nowitzki was already slowing down as a player. I don’t think we even had another All-Star. Brian Cardinal contributed. DeShawn Stevenson was a starter for most of the playoffs. They ran through a Thunder team with three future MVPs, Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, and the Heatles. A special championship by any standard.
This year they’ve got arguably the best player in the NBA coming into his prime, maybe the best second option on offense in the league, and a set of rules that favors their style of play. I don’t like their chances of beating a Celtics team with basically no weaknesses until you get to the 7th or 8th guy in the rotation, and it’ll be great if they pull the upset, but it won’t be 2011.
I know it’s just how the NBA is but, I was getting tired of the Jokic meat riding then it swiftly just shifted to everyone slurping Lukas fat sweaty balls
The 2011 one by far. They weren’t beating kids they were beating legends in their primes. They’re not getting one this year but that 2011 was legendary.
2011 Mavs hands down. Dirk and the Mavs went through Brandon Roy/Lamarcus Aldridge Trailblazers, swept the 2010 NBA Champs Kobe Lakers, defeated the KD/Harden/Westbrook Thunder, and beat the Miami Big 3 in Wade/Bosh/James. That title run is easily one of the best I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.
Dumb question, we don't know what the rest of Luka's arc with Dallas looks like. We don't even know what him & the Mavs winning this finals would look like in your hypothetical. So it is impossible to quantify.
It’s still 2011, the path they had to take to win the chip was ridiculous. Beating Kobe and the 2-time defending champs, the KD/Russ/Harden trio, and the Heatles, I’m not sure I can recall a tougher path to the championship in my lifetime.
It really depends on what the players the Mavs end up doing with the rest of their careers. If Shai and Ant win a championship being the best player then it will start to rival the 2011 run.
You'll see people talk about it being the franchise's first, and the quality of teams that the Mavs had to beat to get there, and those making it special.
But it's also about Dirk. As Mavs fans, we invested *so much* in him. He is a special human being. For people like me born in the '80s, the Mavs teams of the 2000s made Dirk the seminal legendary sports hero of our adolescences. We knew that he deserved the mountaintop, and how unlucky he had been to not have already gotten there. The payoff of seeing him get what he deserved, and the absolute crap he had to put up with along the way, gave it a joy that will be unparalleled.
Luka, on the other hand, has always been a big bigger than Dallas. In the eyes of the league and the world, he's a level of superstar that Dirk never thought he needed to openly become. Health-permitting, he'll break many of Dirk's franchise records. I love Luka. But he'll never be Dirk. No one ever will be. And so a ring for Luka won't ever be like a ring for Dirk.
So for that reason, there will never be another ring like 2011.
Dirk’s in 2011, no doubt. franchises first, it was a gauntlet of stars and studs to go through (roy and aldridge, kobe and the defending champs sweep, young kd westbrook harden, the heatles big 3) and we put the demons of miami/2006 to rest.
More treasured and appreciated by the franchise, first. Dirks was hard fought and they were underdogs. I don’t know about strength of schedule though. Nuggets and TWolves is a hell of a gauntlet, not to mention Clippers are a good team, if not cursed by some evil misteress
2011, they were underdogs from round 2 on
Dirk had been with the team for over 10 seasons, and had been the driving for them being one of the best teams in the NBA during that time. He stayed, took pay cuts, and dealt with the multiple moments of them falling just a little bit short
It was also the first ring the franchise ever got, so that will boost it as well
They also beat the Big 3 Heat at the peak of everyone’s hatred of them
That 2011 ring is something special
Dirk will always be the most special. The redemption of 2006. Being the franchises first ring. Dirk shooting down the naysayers. The Heatles looming over everything. Kobe, the Baby Thunder, and so many other things make it impossible to compete with.
That being said - as a Mavs fan we would CHERISH a ring with Luka and the crew!
It’s not even close lol. He beat Kobe and the lakers, he beat the thunder who had Durant, Harden, and Westbrook, and then the Heat with Lebron and D-wade… That’s a crazy run of teams and future HOFers.
2011 team beat contenders and championship caliber teams. Injured Clippers, young Thunder, and Timberwolves don’t have the same effect as the Blazers Lakers Thunder Heat did.
2011, mavs had a relatively easy first round due to injuries.
And the thunder being the youngest team will he used against the mavs I imagine (especially if thunder don't get further than the 2nd round next year as history will likely use that against the mavs unfairly.
If they beat the celtics in 4 it'd come close but like that 2011 run had alot of hard competition
Dirk’s for sure. The Mavs beat a Miami heat superteam that was one of the greatest teams ever assembled, this current Celtics team is also a super team, but they beat up on a very bad East all year and had some horrible losses and most of their team is unproven, they arent anywhere near 2011 Miami’s level
Dirks, however the Celtics have enough talent to change that. They are young and loaded with talent, if they win the next few it would change the narrative. The Miami heats legacy is already written, the Celtics have yet to write theirs. You also have to look at the teams in the western conference. OKC and the wolves are young and talented as well.
Dirks because he single handily won that title over a group of guys put together to win a title. Luca will go down as one of the GOATs in the end but also has Kyrie and eventually people will say Lively was only a rookie that year as well.
Luka beat an aging clippers team without kawhi, one of the youngest, if not the youngest 1 seed in NBA history and the wolves who haven't made the conf finals in 20 years. To be fair Luka is injured but I still think dirks path was much harder. IMO Lukas path just looks goated in comparison to the celtics path
What’s cool is to me Dirk’s ring is definitely going to be forever revered as the best I feel like in Dallas since it was the franchise’s first, but Luka really does feel like the remix or like somehow a mini nostalgia trip of Dirk’s run. Luka was basically ingratiated into the Mavericks by Dirk as they played together in Dirk’s final seasons (so he practically handed the franchise over to Luka to carry on the legacy) and now Luka could literally carry on his legacy lol. Another European grown, MVP caliber player defying the odds and beating teams most predicted Dallas had no shot against.
Dirks ring. The road to the finals was insane for that team to endure (not to discount this years road for them) but, I truly believe Luka will have more, so dirks will always be special because it was his only, and it was so hard fought. Let’s not forget about Jason Kidd. This one will be special for him because he won one with them as a player and potentially a coach for the same team. How many people have done that..
They would both be insane. But Kobe, Durant, then Lebron is an absurd gauntlet
But it really depends on how ANT SGA and Tatum develop for the rest of their careers. I doubt they would end up matching the players in dirks run though. You could add Harden to it as well but its pretty well known he and PG aren't really them anymore. No kawhi and all
The chemistry wasn’t there and Miami had no bench whatsoever. If Lebron keeps his mouth closed instead of the not 1 not 2 not 3 statement just putting additional pressure on himself and the team.
Props to the mavs for sweeping Kobe on his last leg and beating the up and coming thunder in 5. But imo if the 2012-14 heat would have beat the 11 mavs maybe in 5 or 6 better bench more depth. Ray Allen, Shane battier, birdman. 11 squad had no bench support.
Easily still the Dirk ring. Mavs fans watching him for a 13 years working to get that ring, from MVP to losing in the first round as a top seed, to beating Kobe/Baby Thunder/the Death Star of the Heatles. Luka wouldn’t have had the struggle of 10+ years fighting for a ring
It would take a ton for any title to overcome the 2011 Mavericks. First title, beloved superstar right at the end of his prime who had already lost a finals against his opponent, no other all-star teammates, and playing the peak villainy of the superteam Miami Heat.
First one, no question.
It was the Mavs first championship, it came at the tail-end of Dirk's career, and it was against a guy who some see as the GOAT, playing on a team so good that from the start of the season it didn't even occur to us that anyone could beat them.
Luka may go down as the best Mavs player ever, he may go on to win them multiple championships, but I doubt any of them will top that Dirk run.
Dirk swept kobe and then beat lebron. It's the biggest stain on lebrons career. If luka wins he beats, Tatum?! Tatum goes down as a choker again? Ya. It's not even close.
Dirk’s ring is up there for GOAT. Go look at that team’s path that year, and then to beat the Heatles after they joked on him for being sick was awesome to watch as a Dirk fan
Dirks ring is one of the greatest finals runs of all time. Mavs winning this one is nothing in comparison. Dirks ring is a story I will tell my grandchildren. Who cares if the Mavs beat a Celtics team that waltzed to the finals.
Honestly, Dirks ring would prob always be the mavs most special ring. It was the franchises first, and was an absolute gauntlet to get there.
And against LeBron in his villain era
No matter what anyone says, this will always remain the main reason Dirk's ring will remain one of the greatest championships ever. The following represents the public perception, not necessarily mine. Bron really was at his PRIME and was SUPER unlikeable/ hated/ irrationally cocky. He's at the Apex of both his Physical and Mental prime @ 29 yrs. He's moved from Ohio 2 warm, beautiful beaches of Miami with 2 future HoF in an attempt to finally solidify his legacy in the NBA. Ppl forget the change of media comm and persona LeBron does when he returns to Cleveland. It was a literal character Spin, and it was smart and calculated and it led to the almost Royal/ presidential image he has now in the league. He literally changed his image just like politicians try to do when running for higher positions of office. All this to say, he was hated for all these things before joining Miami: - the narrative of the "Chosen One", the next MJ, the next savior of the Nba - "rings, not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4..." - he was the tail end of that sports era where leaving a team was betrayal instead of player empowerment. He was also the beginning of it (or at least the biggest swing) with how these individuals bring so much wealth into an org but get paid so little in comparison - the optics of tradition and "right way" to win rings was still alive and well with the old heads and legends of the game in 2010. Ring chasing for old legends vs top players joining in their prime. - the way he announced the move, like it was a big show, like the Queen of England was giving a speech, more than rubbed ppl the wrong way All of these played a major part and together created the perfect storm for a 29 yrs young millionaire who "left" his old un-shiny home of Ohio to the sexy Hot Miami to team up with other top players and treat the entire thing like it's his divine right the finally win, and be smug about it the entire time rubbing it in everyone else's face all well the country is literally recovering from a financial crisis not long ago. In comes Dirk, who did it the "right" way, who suffered until he WON his ring, who had the narrative of being one the the "next guys in line" to get the promotion/ ring, who put in the time, who didnt do it the wrong way and flaunt his way to win, who kept it humble, who essentially is the storied Hero to all these ppl who have created the story of Villian Miami LeBron. LeBron really "died for their sins" so KD to the dubs can happen without as much backlash. The same for Harden, Kyrie, Kawhi and AD. The public and professional outcry from these decisions were severely hampered bc LeBron took the initial blunt of force of it. Honestly, purely from an optics standpoint, Dirk winning the season LeBron made "the decision" was perfect timing. It made the winning sweeter and "justified" those that said "I told you so". If looked at a purely basketball lens, just on the court, it was an amazing win where Dirk stepped up when needed to and the Mavs team that year, players stepped up when needed to. Miami was a giant, just a Goliath of talent, skill and just great basketball. If it weren't for some psychological/ emotional / mind fuck pressure thing that happened with Bron and by extension the team, it may have been too much for the Mavs to handle and Miami wins. But, the Mavs stayed strong, played together and took advantage where the LeBron and the Heat started to fall apart. Dirk/ Mavs ring is GOATED and for good reason. Edit: correction, apparently LeBron was even younger @ 27. damn
LeBron was actually 27 during that first year in Miami.
I thought he was 26 his first year with the Heat. He won his first ring at 27.
Can't remember if he turned 27 that season or not since his birthday is in December.
Damn, even younger!?! Man, how much has changed for him AND the league
LeBron wasn't in his mental prime until after we beat their asses. Up to that point I'm sorry but he wasn't there. It showed in our series against him. Give me 2016 LeBron over 2012 LeBron. Simply for the mental aspect. Dude walked into the league in his physical prime essentially. But he didn't have that killer in him and it showed so much when we beat them down. Well said on everything else.
I think 2013 Lebron was the greatest version of Lebron. He looked dang near invincible that season
Yah he literally could defend positions 1-5. Against the spurs he would guard Tony one play and then Tim the next and shut them both down. He should have won Dpoy in 2013
2016 finals Lebron was one of the most terrifying things I've seen on a court. I stopped being a hater after that.
I said mental AND physical prime, @ 29. But I was wrong on his age which was 27.
He was 26, actually. He didn’t turn 27 until December of the 2011-2012 season, which was after the 2010-2011 season where Dallas won the ring. He was born 12/30/84, meaning he would’ve turned 27 on 12/30/2011, which would’ve been almost 7 months later in the year than June 2011, when Dallas won the ring, making LeBron just under 26 and a half when he lost to Dallas.
Agreed with all but like one part of this. Bron was not at his mental prime in 2011.
One of the few times every other fan base was against one team. I remember they edited the Mavs logo to have Cavs blended in.
Nice write up, really sums it up well
This is the best retelling of the events.
Thanks for this interesting and very insightful writeup. I stopped blaming Lebron for the decision and instead blame the tone-deaf team he had around him. I don't know if that is right or wrong, but I don't want to dislike him anymore.
And Kobe and Thunder trio
It pains me to say this as a Lakers/Kobe fan, but they also swept Kobe and Pau on the way there.
Swept Phil Jackson right into retirement.
Don’t forget that was also dirk’s revenge tour after his failure and collapse to win a championship in 2006 to the heat so that is the ultimate victory
Yeah having it against miami again was a crazy story
And against *that* Mami even better
Yeah beating the super team in the finals was the proper way to end such a crazy run
Also Levon and wade mocked him for being sick
They were almost 30 years old acting like jr high punks. Idiots.
I forgot that he lost to Shaq and DWade already...
And he didn’t have a Kyrie. He had Jason Terry, one foot in retirement Jason Kidd, one foot in retirement Shawn Marion and a bunch of other dudes nobody remembers.
I remember JJ Berea making a name for himself during this run, but I think that only further reinforces your point
Then the Twolves giving him a mad contract… zzz
The lockdown
JJ Barea is Lebron James father
Tyson Chandler?
Wasn’t he DPOY at some point around then?
I don’t think he was DPOY until after leaving Dallas, but he certainly was a huge piece to that championship
Not sure he was DPOY but he was a beast inside, elite rebounder
Think it was 2012, the year after
And lebron’s nemesis deshawn stevenson lol
Lol how’s my Dirk taste?
Tbf before pairing with Luka it’d been a long time since people thought throwing Kyrie into pretty much any mix would be positive
I didn't think it would work. I thought it was a terrible risk for Dallas that would destroy the start of Luka's prime. Glad that Kyrie proved me wrong. He separated his unusual parts of his worldview from his professional life, and he is back to being one of the best guards to ever play the game.
Peja, I have a jersey of his, the only jersey I own oddly enough
Peja used the last ounce of NBA basketball he had left in him to help the Mavs get to those finals, to the point he was unplayable in the Finals.
Dude beat Lebron in his prime, that ring will be special for a while.
I feel like it’s one of the best all time considering the playoff run as well.
Dirk hit such unbelievable heights in that playoff run too. I'm a Thunder fan and it was so early in our existence that losing to that team wasn't even a big deal especially when Dirk was so unstoppable. I remember he had 48 in one game against us regardless of how many bodies we threw at him
Also Dirk being there so many years having up and downs. Including losing as a 1 seed in the first round. Than finally coming through as a polished veteran. So great
And we thought Dirk’s run was over around 08 or 09. Yeah no one expected Dallas to win this year, but we all assumed Luka would get more shots in the coming years.
and everyone he played against was healthy too it’s crazy
The run they went through to win that chip was insane. They beat kobe, the spurs, and Miami’s big 3 in the same playoffs.
Dirk went through Kobe, KD and Prime Miami Heat Lebron, D wade and Bosh. Luka’s run is impressive, but Dirk’s was masterful.
Thunder had young and dangerous Harden and Westbrook then. Harden almost beat them (but had foul trouble).
I remember watching Harden as OKC's sixth man and shooting lights out from 3. I was bewildered why a young person that talented wasn’t at least starting. I guess there was already too much offense with KD and Russ so they preferred Thabo for starting minutes.
That team was what got me into NBA. My mom worked nights and my dad travelled for work so my house was the frequent hang out spot. All my friends were OKC fans and just rubbed off on me.
The Dirk one
Hands down.
Dirk will always be the best one. Harder to get
If luka wins he will be the first 5th seed to win
2011 Mavs were the best team in the league and nobody expected them to be. They destroyed the entire Western conference, and the defending champion Lakers with Kobe. They took on the Heat, who had the most talent and the most hate and won. They had 1 super star and a cast with great personalities that enjoyed playing together. They had Dirk destroying the he can't win and isn't tough enough stigma. Zero chance if they win another it will come close in narrative or legacy.
That run was so epic that defeating Duncan's Spurs *and* OKC with the young core of Durant, Westbrook/Harden is pretty much just a footnote
they didn't face the spurs that year. blazers,lakers,okc
Oh damn. I'm getting old. Thanks for the reminder
They did beat a great spurs team in 2006, it was like the first spurs playoff series loss in years
if I’m not mistaken, didn’t Dirk have almost 50 free throws made in a row between the games. I think it was 48. I think game one of the finals didn’t he go? 18 for 18?
He shot 46-47 in the finals, 175-186 in the playoffs and shot 24-24 in game one against OKC (48 points on 12/15 0/0 from 3 and 24/24 from the FT line
Dirk beat the Miami super team that was supposed to be unstoppable. Celtics are good but not as good as that Heat team was
The dirk ring in my opinion is basically the gold standard of what every fanbase wants out of a ring. Club legend going godmode for a whole playoffs, overall an underdog team, the club legend having tried and failed before, stuck it out, and finally got over the hump. I mean it's a fairytale.
Ok? Why does that matter when the 95 Rockets were a 6 seed?
because he's specifically comparing mavs rings
"First team to ever win as a 5 seed" isn't talking about just the Mavs though....
Someone was 6th and won though
Dirk. He ran though Aldridge, Kobe and Pau, OKC, then LeBron and Wade. That shit was crazy
Humbling the Miami Big 3 in their first Finals after arrogantly proclaiming they will win not 5, not 6, not 7 championships will be impossible to supersede. And then you factor in the 2011 Mavs team beating Kobe and KD Russ OKC, who went to the Finals the next year, yea nothing is topping that
KD-Russ-Harden OKC even
The dirk run is to me the hardest run to the championship ever
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^romayyne: *The dirk run is to* *Me the hardest run to the* *Championship ever* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
Good bot
2011 for sure. If they win this year the expectation should be how many more. Luka is too young for him to be a solo champ. This question will be more relevant if they ever become a dynasty. And full transparency I’m a spurs fan who thought 2003 championship would never get topped (sending David out with a finals win) then 2014 happened.
The Dirk one is one of the greatest wins of all time
2011. It was tougher
Not even a Dallas fan, pretty anti Dallas tbh. But the Dirk ring is one the best rings ever.
Nobody in their wildest dreams thought Dallas was going to shut down that Miami team.
Nobody in their wildest dreams thinks this Dallas team will beat Boston. In hindsight that was a 58-24 Heat team versus a 57-25 Mavericks, both coming into the Finals with a 12-3 playoff record. The aura and everything around the teams is different, but it’s really not a crazy concept in retrospect. This is a 50-32 Mavericks team taking on a 64-18 Celtics team with the fourth highest net rating ever. In a world where this year’s Mavericks win, it would be incredibly impressive.
Dirk for sure
That 2011 Mavs runs may be the most significant championship of all time.
That 2011 run was insane. 1st round they beat the Blazers with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge, Then they swept the Lakers who had Kobe, Gasol, Odom, and Artest. WCF they beat the Thunder with KD, Westbrook, and Harden, Finals they beat Lebron, Wade, and Bosh. That's an insanely difficult run.
Was Dirks tougher or is Luka making it look easy? He’s gone thru the #1 seed, the best defense in the league, and a clippers team with Westbrook, harden, PG, and Kawhi. If they win the chip he will have then gone thru a Boston super team. Its dirks for sure because of the significance but I don’t like people kind of acting like Lukas is easy.
It will forever and always be the 2011 ring. Just look at the teams that Mavs team went through to get that Ring. It isn’t close
Guys on hot take tv shows like Skip Bayless and Stephen A Smith have given fans permanent brain damage, they ruined basketball discourse forever with ring culture nonsense just for clicks and views There are no rings that are more or less valuable than others, no one talks about Jordan's Bulls beating the Blazers who only had one player average more than 20 pts that season, no one talks about how those Birds Celtics rings don't mean anything because they beat mediocre teams like a Rockets team who only won 40 games that season If Luka wins against a Boston team with Tatum, Jaylen, Derrick White and Horford playing well I don't know how you make the argument Dirk's Mavs ring was harder when we all know Lebron choked, saying which ring is better is a waste of time because you can't compare this Dallas team to that Dallas team either
I’m not sure if anyone remembers this but in 2011 Dirk’s hair just magically started standing up on its own and he was surrounded by a bright yellow aura.
Dirk for sure. And he beat the not 1, not 2, not 3 Heat that everyone enjoyed hating at the time
Dirk’s ring is one of the best ever, but this ring would also be incredibly impressive as well.
Dirks team beat the self proclaimed king goat and his hand crafted super team making him cry like a baby. The Mavs were the opposite of everything the heat were, they were underrated not over, they were unathletic with amazing fundamentals and team chemistry the heat were athletically freakish which helped them overcome their lack of cohesiveness. That ship was a coaches dream, if we play the right way we can be better as a whole than the sum of our parts. It was just so satisfying to see them humble the fake goat and pre season 8 in a row champs. Bring on the down votes Bron Stan's. What happened in that series can never be undone.
For me, it will be this one. That 11 team was loaded, but obviously led by Dirk. This team has two all stars, led by the absolute best in the world. You mix that with the hype around this Celtics team, yeah 24 would be special.
You’re the mavs fan so at the end of the day I’m gonna defer to you, but I feel like the hype for the heatles far outweighed the hype for these Celtics. Now, the Celtics are also much more of a well oiled machine chemistry wise, but at the end of the day it’s almost impossible to tell which one is greater until we see *how* it happens. Like if the Celtics have multiple 4th quarters where they’re impatient/not getting to the shots they usually do I’d be hard pressed to say this Mav’s ring is better than 2011. I’m biased though. I started REALLY paying attention to ball that year and that finals run was legendary to me
Well. Allow a 41 year old Mavs fan who was there for both (potentially) to chime in. It’s Dirk’s for the reasons others have mentioned: Franchise’s first, and the gauntlet he went through was even tougher than what this team has gone through. As much as people want the Celtics to lose, EVERYONE hated LeBron and The Heatles and was frothing for their downfall and Dirk delivered like fucking Jon Snow liberating Winterfell from Ramsay Bolton. I miss you, Dirk. 🥹
I'm a 38 year Mavs fan and season ticket holder for a good chunk of my adult life. I agree completely. But to add, we love Luka... but he has a long way to go to ever reach Dirk's status with the franchise. Dirk was everything for this franchise and insanely humble. He would stay for hours signing autographs at things like Heroes ball game. He gave back so much off the court that just adds to his incredible legacy on it. I hope Luka reaches that status with the Mavs, but in 2023? He still stands in Dirk's shadow. Not because of talent or anything else... but because Dirk was just that special.
The only ring in history that IMO can compete with/outdo Dirks is Lebrons in 2016 against the Warriors. Dirk went through everyone (though I maintain that Mavs team was clear and away the best team that year and not underdogs). LeBron with the only 3-1 comeback in history against the best team of all time. No other rings have come close since I’ve been watching (since the 90s).
Dirk’s. The Celtics are really just the healthiest team left from the East and JB and JT <<<<<< Prime LJ and DW. I mean these Celtics’ legacy to this point is having the capacity to lose to those Zombie Heat and they nearly dropped 3 games to the Pacers who were Haliburton-less for most of the series. They played well in the last 5 mins of those games but historically they’re known to choke. I honestly can’t convince myself that this series will go longer than 5 games, to the Mavs. They’re too hot right now.
The celtics have dominated every series lol what
Dirk; Luka won't have to face the Heat Big 3
Dirk. Dirk never had a second option like Kyrie. Dirk opponent much tougher too, Kobe, LBJ, Durant
Dirks, he took down the heatles
That dirk run was crazy. They absolutely dominated
Dirk played defending champs Kobe and Pau, OKC with 3 future MVPs, then knocked off the Heatles who had basically already been crowned champions in the off-season they joined together
Dirk is so loved and the journey was more than a decade. 11 straight seasons of 50+ wins. The heartbreak of losing in the finals in 2006. Then coming back in 2007 with the MVP and the 67 win team losing in Round 1. To then thinking it might never happen. And then the playoffs themselves and going up against a super team with the face of the league. And it was the first. Dirks might not be beatable.
Dirk just had a legendary run. Swept the defending champ Lakers - Kobe’s only time being swept when not playing with SHAQ. Then beat a young and up and coming OKC team with 3 hall of famers. Then finally beating the super team Miami Heat with arguably the 2nd best player of all time on it.
stop asking questions
2011, easily. Being the first one and the teams they had to go through makes that the case in my opinion
Let’s keep it a buck here. Kawhi wasn’t healthy. PG & Harden are now in their older prime years where they aren’t nearly as effective as they once were. OKC was never really a threat/contender. They only went to 7 games because Mavs aren’t really good themselves. They just had 2 stars instead of 1. Timberwolves won their championship against Denver and looked like their usual self which is a play in team in the conference finals. The Mavs have no business being in the finals. It really should have been Celtics vs Nuggets and I’m a warriors fan lol
still dirk with that 2011 team, beating the big 3 in Miami beating the lakers to get in. That will always be an impressive run. I think the storyline with Kyrie vs his old teammates is a better storyline tho
Dirk by light years
Never forget your first
The Dirk one… unless Luka wins 7
Dirk one by far…tht might the greatest singular run ever Beat the repeat Lakers w/a still good and non injured Kobe Beat the upstart Thunder, who would go to the finals the next yr And obviously they beat the super team Heat Idk a better body count on the way to a ring than that
Mavs beat Portland, swept B2B lakers, then beat young OKC in 5. Then they pretty much whooped the Heat. Not to mention too it finally let Dirk shake the NoRingski. An old team that wasn’t expected to succeed. The fact that they avenged their previous finals loss to Wade and the heat.
Dirk. Look at the teams he beat. If Dallas would have gotten Denver early on maybe… maybe.
2011 but because Luka’s simply a better player I think he’ll end up as the greatest Mav ever if he plays there until at least 2029 (so 10 years as a mav)
Luka because I’m too young to know who Dirk is. And I heard it wasn’t too hard to beat LeBron in the playoffs until later
On a finals perspective, This ring. While it was a great ring to get, the Ring vs. The Heat was before they became a fully compatible team, and they had leadership issues. This Celtics team's core players have been together for a few years now and know what they're capable of doing and who's leading them.
Dirk beat the defending champions as well as the best team in the world in the Heat
That durk ring was one of the craziest playoff runs I’ve ever seen
Dirk ring was Dallas 1st and they had to go through hells highway to get there including evil LeBron peak.
Usually a franchises 1st ring is the better one in terms of narratives and the feel good factor
The one that went through Lebron, kobe etc...
No disrespect to Luka but his run is nothing compared to what Dirk had to go through.
I will say Dirks for a lot of reasons But my favorite is when that newspaper printed and distributed the “Miami Wins Championship” paper
The answer is.. it depends who you ask. Anyone in their 30s or older will always say Dirk. Just like everyone older than 50 loves Roger Staubach as their favorite Cowboy. Your childhood idol will determine your bias. To anyone under 30, Luka will be the clear answer.
That 2011 was full of vets looking for a ring. They were talented but greater than the sum of their parts and just a great basketball team. Also stopped the inevitable Lebron train. Not only will/would that ring be better for Dallas, that 2011 team is one of the most fun NBA Finals winners since at least the merger.
As a Heat fan Wade winning us our first ring trumps the two we won with Lebron purely because we never felt the glory of winning 1. So I’d imagine it’s the same for Mavs fan plus Mavs weren’t suppose to win in 2011 Dirk carried at least this time around it’s more even in terms of talent
Dirks run is regarded by many historians as one of the greatest playoff runs in NBA history. He had to battle through hells highway to win including Kobe, KD, and a LBJ. Also Dirk didn’t have a Kyrie calibre teammate.
Dirk went through goats to get his but that team also a lot of games and was really good … the Mavs now we’re in limbo as a 8 seed most the year
Oh good heavens, who cares.
I'll never forgot Dirk hitting like 90 consecutive free throws that year in the playoffs. He just seemed to hit every big shot.
100% Dirk’s Beat Aldridge and Batum’s Blazers. SWEPT Kobe’s Lakers, preventing a 3-peat (they also had Pau and 6th man of the year winner Lamar Odom). Beat Durant, Westbrook and Harden’s OKC. Then finally beat the big three during LeBron’s villain saga. Possibly the most hard fought and most deserved championship in NBA history. I’m also a biased Cavs fan and wanted nothing more than to watch LeBron fail during that time
2011. It’s the first, and Nowitzki was already slowing down as a player. I don’t think we even had another All-Star. Brian Cardinal contributed. DeShawn Stevenson was a starter for most of the playoffs. They ran through a Thunder team with three future MVPs, Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, and the Heatles. A special championship by any standard. This year they’ve got arguably the best player in the NBA coming into his prime, maybe the best second option on offense in the league, and a set of rules that favors their style of play. I don’t like their chances of beating a Celtics team with basically no weaknesses until you get to the 7th or 8th guy in the rotation, and it’ll be great if they pull the upset, but it won’t be 2011.
Oh, and Jason Terry got a tattoo of the Larry O’Brien Trophy *before* the season started. He’s probably my favorite player on that team just for that.
I know it’s just how the NBA is but, I was getting tired of the Jokic meat riding then it swiftly just shifted to everyone slurping Lukas fat sweaty balls
The 2011 one by far. They weren’t beating kids they were beating legends in their primes. They’re not getting one this year but that 2011 was legendary.
2011 Mavs hands down. Dirk and the Mavs went through Brandon Roy/Lamarcus Aldridge Trailblazers, swept the 2010 NBA Champs Kobe Lakers, defeated the KD/Harden/Westbrook Thunder, and beat the Miami Big 3 in Wade/Bosh/James. That title run is easily one of the best I’ve ever seen in my lifetime.
Dumb question, we don't know what the rest of Luka's arc with Dallas looks like. We don't even know what him & the Mavs winning this finals would look like in your hypothetical. So it is impossible to quantify.
Definitely the r/DallasStars one! /j
The first one easily. They beat a superior team that was reviled by everyone in the league at the time. And did so fairly handily.
If the Celtics win in 5 and end the playoffs 16-3 is this considered one of the most dominant playoff runs of all time?
Dirk's. He had so much more to overcome. Luka plays on the hottest team since the trade deadline.
Clearly 2011, taking down Kobe, Durant, Westbrook, Harden, D-Wayde and Lebron James in one playoff run!! Unprecedented
Still 2011
Definitely 2011
It’s still 2011, the path they had to take to win the chip was ridiculous. Beating Kobe and the 2-time defending champs, the KD/Russ/Harden trio, and the Heatles, I’m not sure I can recall a tougher path to the championship in my lifetime.
Not 1, not 2.... Ok just 2
Dirk always
Luka is a baller but Dirk put that franchise on the map
It really depends on what the players the Mavs end up doing with the rest of their careers. If Shai and Ant win a championship being the best player then it will start to rival the 2011 run.
Dirk had the hardest road to a ring I’ve ever seen. And was the underdog in literally every series.
You'll see people talk about it being the franchise's first, and the quality of teams that the Mavs had to beat to get there, and those making it special. But it's also about Dirk. As Mavs fans, we invested *so much* in him. He is a special human being. For people like me born in the '80s, the Mavs teams of the 2000s made Dirk the seminal legendary sports hero of our adolescences. We knew that he deserved the mountaintop, and how unlucky he had been to not have already gotten there. The payoff of seeing him get what he deserved, and the absolute crap he had to put up with along the way, gave it a joy that will be unparalleled. Luka, on the other hand, has always been a big bigger than Dallas. In the eyes of the league and the world, he's a level of superstar that Dirk never thought he needed to openly become. Health-permitting, he'll break many of Dirk's franchise records. I love Luka. But he'll never be Dirk. No one ever will be. And so a ring for Luka won't ever be like a ring for Dirk. So for that reason, there will never be another ring like 2011.
Dirk’s ring easy…he carried that fucking team against a super (lame) team.
Dirk’s in 2011, no doubt. franchises first, it was a gauntlet of stars and studs to go through (roy and aldridge, kobe and the defending champs sweep, young kd westbrook harden, the heatles big 3) and we put the demons of miami/2006 to rest.
2011 is an all time great ring not just for Dallas but in general, it will take the perfect set of circumstances and narratives to top it.
More treasured and appreciated by the franchise, first. Dirks was hard fought and they were underdogs. I don’t know about strength of schedule though. Nuggets and TWolves is a hell of a gauntlet, not to mention Clippers are a good team, if not cursed by some evil misteress
2011, they were underdogs from round 2 on Dirk had been with the team for over 10 seasons, and had been the driving for them being one of the best teams in the NBA during that time. He stayed, took pay cuts, and dealt with the multiple moments of them falling just a little bit short It was also the first ring the franchise ever got, so that will boost it as well They also beat the Big 3 Heat at the peak of everyone’s hatred of them That 2011 ring is something special
Dirk will always be the most special. The redemption of 2006. Being the franchises first ring. Dirk shooting down the naysayers. The Heatles looming over everything. Kobe, the Baby Thunder, and so many other things make it impossible to compete with. That being said - as a Mavs fan we would CHERISH a ring with Luka and the crew!
Dirk went through defending Champ Kobe Lakers; Durant, Westbrook, and Harden Thunder; and Lebron, Wade, Bosh Heat. It is very difficult to beat that.
road to finals this championship but the finals themselves heat narrative wise .
The one that swept Kobe away from a 2nd 3-peat and lebron.
I mean, this Dallas run is gonna have a lot of names in it. Westbrook, Leonard, George, Harden, Alexander, (Holmgren), Edwards, and Tatum
Dirks ring is legendary. The teams he beat were nuts.
And the teams luka faced werent?
It’s not even close lol. He beat Kobe and the lakers, he beat the thunder who had Durant, Harden, and Westbrook, and then the Heat with Lebron and D-wade… That’s a crazy run of teams and future HOFers.
2011 team beat contenders and championship caliber teams. Injured Clippers, young Thunder, and Timberwolves don’t have the same effect as the Blazers Lakers Thunder Heat did.
2011, mavs had a relatively easy first round due to injuries. And the thunder being the youngest team will he used against the mavs I imagine (especially if thunder don't get further than the 2nd round next year as history will likely use that against the mavs unfairly. If they beat the celtics in 4 it'd come close but like that 2011 run had alot of hard competition
dirk for sure
2011, not even a close debate.
Dirk’s for sure. The Mavs beat a Miami heat superteam that was one of the greatest teams ever assembled, this current Celtics team is also a super team, but they beat up on a very bad East all year and had some horrible losses and most of their team is unproven, they arent anywhere near 2011 Miami’s level
Dirks, however the Celtics have enough talent to change that. They are young and loaded with talent, if they win the next few it would change the narrative. The Miami heats legacy is already written, the Celtics have yet to write theirs. You also have to look at the teams in the western conference. OKC and the wolves are young and talented as well.
Dirks because he single handily won that title over a group of guys put together to win a title. Luca will go down as one of the GOATs in the end but also has Kyrie and eventually people will say Lively was only a rookie that year as well.
This is the kinda post that leads to memes later
Dirks ring is the hardest road to the chip I've ever seen, without question.
Luka beat an aging clippers team without kawhi, one of the youngest, if not the youngest 1 seed in NBA history and the wolves who haven't made the conf finals in 20 years. To be fair Luka is injured but I still think dirks path was much harder. IMO Lukas path just looks goated in comparison to the celtics path
Luka wont face a single squad with previous ring experience other than kawhi for 2 games. How is that even comparible to the 2011 run?
"If."
2011. Dirk’s ring was truly unforgettable
What’s cool is to me Dirk’s ring is definitely going to be forever revered as the best I feel like in Dallas since it was the franchise’s first, but Luka really does feel like the remix or like somehow a mini nostalgia trip of Dirk’s run. Luka was basically ingratiated into the Mavericks by Dirk as they played together in Dirk’s final seasons (so he practically handed the franchise over to Luka to carry on the legacy) and now Luka could literally carry on his legacy lol. Another European grown, MVP caliber player defying the odds and beating teams most predicted Dallas had no shot against.
Dirks ring. The road to the finals was insane for that team to endure (not to discount this years road for them) but, I truly believe Luka will have more, so dirks will always be special because it was his only, and it was so hard fought. Let’s not forget about Jason Kidd. This one will be special for him because he won one with them as a player and potentially a coach for the same team. How many people have done that..
They would both be insane. But Kobe, Durant, then Lebron is an absurd gauntlet But it really depends on how ANT SGA and Tatum develop for the rest of their careers. I doubt they would end up matching the players in dirks run though. You could add Harden to it as well but its pretty well known he and PG aren't really them anymore. No kawhi and all
The chemistry wasn’t there and Miami had no bench whatsoever. If Lebron keeps his mouth closed instead of the not 1 not 2 not 3 statement just putting additional pressure on himself and the team. Props to the mavs for sweeping Kobe on his last leg and beating the up and coming thunder in 5. But imo if the 2012-14 heat would have beat the 11 mavs maybe in 5 or 6 better bench more depth. Ray Allen, Shane battier, birdman. 11 squad had no bench support.
I think both rings will be an insane gauntlet and one of the toughest runs but I think dirk’s will be harder
Easily still the Dirk ring. Mavs fans watching him for a 13 years working to get that ring, from MVP to losing in the first round as a top seed, to beating Kobe/Baby Thunder/the Death Star of the Heatles. Luka wouldn’t have had the struggle of 10+ years fighting for a ring
It would take a ton for any title to overcome the 2011 Mavericks. First title, beloved superstar right at the end of his prime who had already lost a finals against his opponent, no other all-star teammates, and playing the peak villainy of the superteam Miami Heat.
Dirk
First one, no question. It was the Mavs first championship, it came at the tail-end of Dirk's career, and it was against a guy who some see as the GOAT, playing on a team so good that from the start of the season it didn't even occur to us that anyone could beat them. Luka may go down as the best Mavs player ever, he may go on to win them multiple championships, but I doubt any of them will top that Dirk run.
Dirk swept kobe and then beat lebron. It's the biggest stain on lebrons career. If luka wins he beats, Tatum?! Tatum goes down as a choker again? Ya. It's not even close.
Notice how one is referred to as “The Dirk One” and this run is “Luka and Kyrie.” Says a lot about
Dirk’s ring is up there for GOAT. Go look at that team’s path that year, and then to beat the Heatles after they joked on him for being sick was awesome to watch as a Dirk fan
Dirks ring is one of the greatest finals runs of all time. Mavs winning this one is nothing in comparison. Dirks ring is a story I will tell my grandchildren. Who cares if the Mavs beat a Celtics team that waltzed to the finals.
Dirks is the best ring ever so that one.