A funny thing happened on the way to the NBA championship title. The less athletic and less talented team walked away with the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki and a supporting cast of past-their-prime players outplayed, outcompeted, and outclassed the overhyped and overconfident Lebron James and the Miami Heat.
The win for the Mavs epitomized the adage that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts, and that disciplined play, teamwork, and fundamentals will usually outlast showtime and showboating. Or in this case, the self-proclaimed "King" James and "The Big Three".
Beyond the on-court differences in strategy and personel between the two teams, what I found quite interesting was the post game press conferences afterward. A few sample quotes:
Nowitzki: "This is a win for team basketball. This is a win for playing as a team on both ends of the floor. For sharing and passing the ball. We worked so hard and for so long. The team had an unbelievable ride. No one can take this away from us."
James: "I was able to do things the last two series. I won two more games than I did in '07. And hopefully next time I get here I'll win two more games than I did in '11."
