NBA finals schedule has LeBron James and the Miami Heat facing Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks next week in what is expected to be a drama-filled game
The NBA finals schedule is out. Are one of those casual sports fans who watches the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Kentucky Derby and the NBA finals, figuring you get everything you need by just catching the best at the very end? Well here are 5 things even the most casual sports enthusiast should know before the NBA finals between the Miami Heatand Dallas Mavericks begins Tuesday in Miami at 9 pm EST on ABC.
1. LeBron James: Need we say more? LeBron is the biggest thing in NBA hoops. He came straight to the NBA out of high school in Akron, Ohio, in 2003 and played for the Cleveland Cavaliers until this season. Then “King James” as he is called ceremoniously, literally, “took his talents to Miami,” where he signed a huge contract, brought another free agent Chris Bosh with him and united with Dwayne Wade to form the nucleus of what was/is expected to be a power for years to come. After a rough start, the team has gelled and LeBron has been nothing short of spectacular. Watch him as he seeks his first NBA crown and a fairy tale ending to his team changing season.
2. A 7-foot giant named Dirk: The Mavericks star has been Dirk Nowitzki. The German born and raised Nowitzki has become one of the greatest shooters the NBA has ever seen. The 7-foot-tall giant has been almost perfect from the free throw line and from the floor he has made incredible off-balance shots that seem impossible to convert. But can he keep it up? Nowitzki will need help from another shooter; Jason Terry could be that guy, and the Mav’s need to continue to play great defense. Look for Nowitzki to cement his reputation as the best foreign-born player ever in the NBA.
3. The past can come back to haunt you: This NBA finals matchup is a rematch of the 2006 NBA finals where the Heat beat the Mavericks in six games. The star of that Heat series was guard Dwayne Wade. This year, the teams met twice and Dallas won both games, but they were also both early in the season… and things change.
4. Even the owners have star power: The Dallas Mavericks are owned by billionaire media and internet entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who made his fortune starting and selling Broadcast.com. He has been a “fan-owner” and engenders both admiration and disgust from those who have strong feelings about how he participates in the games. The Heat are owned by Micky Arison, the CEO of Carnival Cruise lines.
5. The match-up has drama: The NBA finals are pretty much a game of Dirk v. LeBron, although Bosh and Wade are no Heat slouches, and the Mavericks have other stars like Jason Kidd on their roster, as well. Emotions are running high, since many Cleveland Cavaliers fans are still peeved at LeBron for leaving them for Miami; will they be wearing Mavericks garb during the playoffs out of spite? Nowitzki had a chance to leave the Mavericks last summer but he chose to stay with his team.
Both teams have been great in the post season so far, with Dallas beating the Portland Trail Blazers, sweeping the defending NBA Champion Los Angles Lakers and the young and up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder. They are 10-1 for their last 11 games. The Heat beat Philadelphia, Boston and the Chicago Bulls to get here, all in five-game series. They can beat an opponent down in many ways, though the pressure will be on LeBron and Wade since they are the established stars. If the Heat can stay together and not implode under the weight of the quest for the crown, they should be wearing rings come June 12, after winning the series in six games.
The NBA finals schedule is out. Are one of those casual sports fans who watches the Super Bowl, the World Series, the Kentucky Derby and the NBA finals, figuring you get everything you need by just catching the best at the very end? Well here are 5 things even the most casual sports enthusiast should know before the NBA finals between the Miami Heatand Dallas Mavericks begins Tuesday in Miami at 9 pm EST on ABC.
1. LeBron James: Need we say more? LeBron is the biggest thing in NBA hoops. He came straight to the NBA out of high school in Akron, Ohio, in 2003 and played for the Cleveland Cavaliers until this season. Then “King James” as he is called ceremoniously, literally, “took his talents to Miami,” where he signed a huge contract, brought another free agent Chris Bosh with him and united with Dwayne Wade to form the nucleus of what was/is expected to be a power for years to come. After a rough start, the team has gelled and LeBron has been nothing short of spectacular. Watch him as he seeks his first NBA crown and a fairy tale ending to his team changing season.
2. A 7-foot giant named Dirk: The Mavericks star has been Dirk Nowitzki. The German born and raised Nowitzki has become one of the greatest shooters the NBA has ever seen. The 7-foot-tall giant has been almost perfect from the free throw line and from the floor he has made incredible off-balance shots that seem impossible to convert. But can he keep it up? Nowitzki will need help from another shooter; Jason Terry could be that guy, and the Mav’s need to continue to play great defense. Look for Nowitzki to cement his reputation as the best foreign-born player ever in the NBA.
4. Even the owners have star power: The Dallas Mavericks are owned by billionaire media and internet entrepreneur Mark Cuban, who made his fortune starting and selling Broadcast.com. He has been a “fan-owner” and engenders both admiration and disgust from those who have strong feelings about how he participates in the games. The Heat are owned by Micky Arison, the CEO of Carnival Cruise lines.
5. The match-up has drama: The NBA finals are pretty much a game of Dirk v. LeBron, although Bosh and Wade are no Heat slouches, and the Mavericks have other stars like Jason Kidd on their roster, as well. Emotions are running high, since many Cleveland Cavaliers fans are still peeved at LeBron for leaving them for Miami; will they be wearing Mavericks garb during the playoffs out of spite? Nowitzki had a chance to leave the Mavericks last summer but he chose to stay with his team.
Both teams have been great in the post season so far, with Dallas beating the Portland Trail Blazers, sweeping the defending NBA Champion Los Angles Lakers and the young and up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder. They are 10-1 for their last 11 games. The Heat beat Philadelphia, Boston and the Chicago Bulls to get here, all in five-game series. They can beat an opponent down in many ways, though the pressure will be on LeBron and Wade since they are the established stars. If the Heat can stay together and not implode under the weight of the quest for the crown, they should be wearing rings come June 12, after winning the series in six games.
