This season would prove to be the most successful season for the Mavericks. In the playoffs, the Mavericks defeated the Portland Trail Blazers in six games in the First Round, then swept the defending two-time NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers in four games in the Semifinals, before defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the Conference Finals to reach the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. In the NBA Finals, the Mavericks faced off against the Miami Heat in a rematch of the 2006 NBA Finals, where they beat the Heat in six games, and the Heat were led by their Big Three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
The Mavericks would go on to defeat the Heat in six games in the NBA Finals, winning their first NBA championship in franchise history.[1]
The Mavericks' championship was the first major sports championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth area since the Dallas Stars in 1999, and the first title in Mavericks franchise history. The Mavericks became the third team to win an NBA title in the state of Texas, joining the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs. The Mavericks are also the third team to win a major sports championship in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, joining the Dallas Cowboys and the Dallas Stars. The Mavericks championship parade was held on June 16, 2011 in downtown Dallas.
In the 2010 NBA Draft the Mavericks got only 1 pick. At no. 50 they picked the NigerianCenterSolomon Alabi. But he was traded directly to the Toronto Raptors for a future second-round pick and cash considerations.
Mavericks free agent Dirk Nowitzki agreed to a 4-year deal worth $80 million to stay with the Mavericks.[2]
Brendan Haywood also decided to stay with the Mavericks as he signed a new 6-year deal worth $55 million. His sixth and last year in this contract is however not fully guaranteed.[3]
CenterIan Mahinmi signed a 2-year deal worth the veteran minimum starting at $850.000.[4]
On August 12 Tim Thomas signed a 1-year deal to the veteran minimum ($1.35 million).[7] He was at the Mavericks previous season but left the team to take care of his ill wife. Afterwards he announced that the illness his wife suffered will prevent him from playing for the Mavericks.[8]
On January 10, the Mavericks signed Sasha Pavlović to a 10-day contract.[9] He received a second 10-day contract on January 20. On January 30 he was released.[10]
The Mavericks' playoff run began with a six-game first round series against the Portland Trail Blazers. In the conference semi-finals, the Mavericks swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers. The series against the Lakers also birthed the Mavericks Royal Blue-Out games in the AAC, with almost all fans wearing T-shirts that read "The Time is Now". In the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Mavericks won the last three games with fourth-quarter comebacks to win their second Western Conference Championship and earn a trip to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2006. Following a disappointing Game One, the Mavericks pulled the biggest comeback in NBA Finals history in Game Two to even the series at a game each. After a loss in Game Three, the Mavericks won the last two games in Dallas to take a 3–2 series lead heading to Game Six in Miami. The Mavericks won Game Six; with that win, the Mavs became NBA Champions for the first time.
On October 29, Dirk Nowitzki's free-throw streak came to an end at 82, when he missed a free-throw against Memphis. He now holds the record for the third longest free-throw streak.
In Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals, Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks set a playoff record for most free throws made without a miss with 24, previously held by Paul Pierce (21) in 2003.
On November 12, Jason Kidd recorded his 11,000th Assist during a game against the Philadelphia 76ers. He is the second player in the NBA History to achieve it.
On May 8, in a playoff game against the Los Angeles Lakers, Brian Cardinal hit the 20th three-pointer of the game, tying what was at the time the record set by the Houston Rockets on May 6, 1996. The current record belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who hit 25 three-pointers in a game against the Atlanta Hawks on May 4, 2016.[17]
On June 12, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in game 6 of the 2011 Finals, to win their first NBA Championship.
On June 16, a crowd estimated at 200,000 lined the streets of Dallas for the first ever NBA Championship Victory Parade. A celebration followed inside, at the American Airlines Center for Season ticket holders, and was broadcast on local TV.[18]
Rodrigue Beaubois injured his foot during a practice session with the French national squad. Beaubois broke the fifth metatarsal bone in his left foot. He underwent surgery, which was successful.[19] He rebroke his foot, but returned to practice at February 8, 2011.[20] Beaubois made his comeback in a game against Sacramento on February 16.
Head coach Rick Carlisle did not made the trip to Oklahoma because he recovered from a minor arthroscopic knee surgery.[21]
During a game against Milwaukee, Caron Butler injured his right knee and did not return to the game. Butler suffered a ruptured right patellar tendon on his right knee, underwent surgey on Tuesday, January 4, and missed the reminder of the season.[22]
During the first quarter of a game against Detroit, Aleksandar Pavlović suffered a broken nose.
Rodrigue Beaubois missed Game 1 of the playoff series against Portland due to a foot sprain.[23] He also missed Games 2–5 of the same series.
Dirk Nowitzki tore a tendon in the middle finger of his left (non-shooting) hand in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.[24]
During the Finals against Miami, Brendan Haywood missed Game 3 due to a strained right hip flexor.[25] He returned to play Game 4, but could not move well and only played a few minutes.[26]
The Dallas Mavericks are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home games at the American Airlines Center, which it shares with the National Hockey League's Dallas Stars.
Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An alumnus of Röntgen Gymnasium and the DJK Würzburg basketball club, Nowitzki was chosen as the ninth pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to the Mavericks, where he has played since.
Rick Carlisle
Richard Preston Carlisle is an American basketball coach and former player who is the head coach of the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons. As a player, Carlisle played for the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and New Jersey Nets. He is also one of only 11 people to win an NBA championship both as a player and as a coach.
Brendan Haywood
Brendan Todd Haywood is an American retired professional basketball player. He is now a college basketball announcer for CBS Sports and co-host/analyst on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
Aleksandar Pavlović
Aleksandar "Saša" Pavlović is a Montenegrin former professional basketball player who spent ten seasons in the National Basketball Association playing for the Utah Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans and the Boston Celtics. He also represented Serbia and Montenegro national basketball team internationally. Standing at 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m), he played at the small forward and shooting guard positions.
Rodrigue Beaubois
Rodrigue "Roddy" Beaubois is a French professional basketball player for Anadolu Efes of the Basketbol Süper Ligi (BSL) and the EuroLeague.
Harrison Barnes
Harrison Bryce Jordan Barnes is an American professional basketball player for the Sacramento Kings of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels before being selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the 2012 NBA draft with the seventh overall pick. Barnes won an NBA championship with the Warriors in 2015.