The Dallas Mavericks - NBA Champions?

Yes.
The Dallas Mavericks are NBA Champions.

With this NBA Finals win, so many demons were vanquished, shadows were cast aside, and backs relieved of their monkeys...feel free to add any other cliche in this space.

The fact is, this championship for the Mavs is exactly what a championship should mean to an organization.
The last few years had seen the Larry O'Brien trophy in the familiar confines of Los Angeles and Boston.
Today, it resides in halls of blue and silver to be gawked at by generations of Maverick fans...some who had given up the dream of ever seeing this day come and some who believed throughout.

Despite the title to my blog this morning, we can no longer question these Dallas Mavericks.

No longer is there the threat that a mettlesome owner whose mouth is bigger than his wallet (and he's got a huge wallet) would never stay out of the way long enough to let this team win it all.

No longer will the NBA masses believe Dirk Nowitzki is soft.

No longer can we question Jason Kidds ability to lead a team to the promised land.

No longer should Jason Terry be considered a player with more style than substance.

No longer are the Dallas Mavericks only the best regular season team in the NBA.

Mark Cuban was silent and classy throughout these playoffs.
Allowing his product to speak for itself, his team spoke volumes about how well Cuban and his staff put together all the right pieces.

Dirk Nowitzki had carried the "soft" label for too long.
He was never soft.
Like another 7-footer, David Robinson, Dirk was mislabeled a softee more for his lack of supporting cast than for his lack of heart and talent.
But now, like Robinson, Dirk is a champion...and the world should finally see appreciate him for what he is: One hell of a solid basketball player. The likes of which we may not see again. 7-footers just shouldn't shoot as good as Dirk does.

Jason Kidd had been to this mountain top before.
And he had been pushed off.
His appearance in past NBA Finals had been sour notes in his career.
This time, a much older and slower Kidd was again on that mountain top.
And no one  would push him off.
Age may have slowed his step, but it has brought him wisdom and improved his leadership skills.
Providing a unshakable presence in the locker room and on the court, Kidd was this team's rock.

Maligned for his mouth (2nd in size only to Cuban's), Jason Terry had often played less of a game than he talked.
His impression on games got smaller and smaller as the stakes got bigger.
That was then, this is now.
For solid stretches in the Finals, never more than the first half of game 6, Jason Terry put these Mavericks on his back and carried them through Nowitzki's shooting slumps.
There's no arguing this fact: Jason Terry did for Nowitzki what Lebron could not do for Dwayne Wade.
And you can't front on that.

No question about it.
These Mavericks are NBA Champions.

And this morning, people in Dallas, TX are pinching themselves silly in the hopes that this is not a dream.
Some of these fans had given up hope they'd see this day seasons ago.
Some of these fans had quit believing as recently as a few months ago.
Some may have given up after game 3.

No matter. Dallas Mavericks fans, all of them, should celebrate!
Even if some of you don't deserve to relish in this glory, your team deserves to here you roar.

Mark Cuban really let loose at the post-game celebration!

The Billycock is in full effect, Foo!