Speaking of the most legendary NBA championship, excluding the "ancient times" that are far away from us, it is none other than the championship won by the Mavericks led by Dirk Nowitzki in 11 years by defeating the Heat Big Three. As for why, it is probably due to the fact that the Big Three of the Heat contributed to the later popularity of the league, and they have largely proved that even if the stars do not huddle, as long as they are willing to work hard, they can still win the championship.
Today, let's take a look back at the champions of the year, see who they are and what they are doing now.
The absolute hero of the championship, coach Rick Carlisle
Coach Rick Carlisle, whose tactical intelligence and precise use of players were key to the Mavericks' championship.
Every coach has something to be good at, Carlisle is best at defense, and it can be said that if the original coach was not him, I am afraid that the team that won the championship that year would not be the Mavericks. Because the Mavericks have always been offensive under Nowitzki's leadership, and throughout the playoffs in '11, Carlisle's Mavericks have shown their balance on both offensive and defensive ends, especially against the Heat, which has many superstars, Carlisle's excellent defensive strategy and tactics at critical moments have made James and others suffer.
The Mavericks were able to win the championship in the end, and in addition to Nowitzki, Carlisle definitely had the second share of the credit. After winning the championship, Carlisle continued to coach the Mavericks, the Mavericks, for nine years before returning to the Pacers on June 25, 2021.
The super brain who won the championship, Jason Kidd
As Jason Kidd, who has a lot of experience in handling the ball and has a high ball IQ, he can be said to have played a key role in the Mavericks' tactical system, and his experience and vision on the court have made the Mavericks' offense and defense smoother. Regardless of whether the team's boss Nowitzki is on the field or not, he can use his experience to stabilize the team and keep the team from being pulled apart.
It's also worth mentioning that Kidd's consistent performance and consistent three-point shooting are also important factors in the Mavericks' success.
Without him as a point guard to stabilize the team, the team would have made some serious mistakes at critical moments in the game, and his presence prevented that from happening. In addition, Kidd's three-point shooting rate in the '11 playoffs was 37.4%, which was the most consistent three-point output point on the team, and perfectly contained the opponent's marking from the outside. So, Jason Kidd should be the third contributor to the Mavericks' championship.
As for what Jason Kidd is doing now, there is no surprise that he has become a coach and passing on his experience and wisdom to a new generation of players. He even took over Carlisle's mantle and came to the Mavericks as head coach after a few years of experience with other teams, and led the team to the playoffs this season.
Another musket to win the title, Jason Terry
There weren't many offensive firepower points for that Mavericks back then, and apart from Nowitzki, the most reliable scoring point on the court was "Jet" Jason Terry.
Not only did he perform well in the playoffs as a whole, averaging 17.5 points and 3.2 assists per game, but he also scored high scores many times in the Finals. Whether it was in Game 5 of the NBA Finals series, with 40 seconds left in the game, Jason Terry used a three-pointer to kill the Heat's Big Three to turn the game around, or in the crucial sixth game, his 27 points directly helped the team win the championship, he can be called a super hero of the championship.
As for what he's doing now, like Kidd, he's also devoted himself to coaching, currently working as an assistant coach between college basketball and NBA teams.
The Wall of the Forbidden Army, Tyson Chandler
In the year of the championship, if Nowitzki and Terry were the main inside and outside attack, Tyson Chandler was the main inside and outside defense with Kidd. Without him as the pillar of interior defense, no matter how much Carlisle has defensive tactics, I am afraid he will not be able to stop the Heat's successive bombardments.
Arguably, Chandler's defensive presence and intimidation under the basket were key factors in the Mavericks' championship, and his rebounding and blocking abilities greatly solidified the Mavericks' interior defense, making it difficult for opponents to score easily under the basket. As for what he's doing now, he occasionally appears in the public eye as a commentator after retiring from the sport, sharing his basketball knowledge and experience.
The top libero who won the championship, Sean Marion
In the year of the championship, if Nowitzki's Golden Rooster Independence impressed the fans, Sean Marion's bizarre shooting was also unforgettable.
Of course, Shaun Marion's role is not to be funny with his bizarre shooting stance, but to fill in the gaps with his all-around style of play and superior defensive ability as a top free agent for the Mavericks. Especially in the Finals, he not only contributed stable scoring and rebounding on the offensive end, but also limited the opponent's key players on the defensive end, making it impossible for James and others to easily bypass him to score in the frame.
Without his athleticism, the Mavericks would have been exhausted by the young Heat triumvirate, and the road to winning the championship would have become particularly difficult.
As for what he's doing now, he's not continuing to choose basketball as a coach or commentator. Rather, after retiring from the military, he became active in business and philanthropy, influencing society in other ways.
The winning bench bandit, J.J. Barria
In addition to the above super heroes, there is also a small but equally indispensable bench bandit - J.J. Barria.
In the playoffs, J.J. Barria played beyond his size, using his speed and breakaway ability to take the Mavericks' offense to new heights. Especially in the Finals against the Heat, Barea repeatedly broke through the Heat's defense and provided the team with key scores. Even if it weren't for his important 17 points in Game 5, I'm afraid that the winner of that game would have been the Heat.
Now, J.J. Barria has chosen the same path as Kidd and others, continuing to shine in the NBA as an assistant coach.
The special hero of the championship, Mark Cuban
In the year of the championship, the Mavericks were not the only players and coaches who were the champions, their owner Mark Cuban was also a big contributor to the championship.
As an avid basketball fan, Cuban's love for basketball and devotion to the Mavericks is undeniable. Before the start of the 10-11 season, the Mavericks can be said to be facing a lot of difficulties, not only the team's core players have left, the roster is aging, but also the young players are not yet mature, and the whole team is in trouble. If it were an ordinary team owner, I am afraid that he would not want the team to win the championship when he sees such a situation, but Cuban is different, he did not hesitate to invest a lot of money to strengthen the team, and finally gathered the heroes who won the championship, so as to get this legendary championship.
As for now, Cuban has begun to retire, selling a majority stake in the Mavericks for $3.5 billion in revenue, but retaining a portion of the stake and complete control of the team.