Relive Dirk Nowitzki's greatest triumph, Dallas Mavericks' victory over Miami Heat in 2011 NBA Finals
Watch Phoenix Suns @ Dallas Mavericks live on Sky Sports Action in the early hours of Wednesday morning (1:30am)
Wednesday 10 April 2019 09:00, UK
Dirk Nowitzki is set to play what could be the final home game of his record-breaking 21-year journey with the Dallas Mavericks. Relive the 2011 Finals triumph that transformed his career.
Live NBA: Phoenix @ Dallas
Nowitzki, drafted by the Mavericks in 1998, had established himself as an elite NBA scorer and led his team to 10 successive postseason appearances leading into the 2010/11 season.
However, up to that point, each Dallas playoff adventure had ended in failure, including two heartbreaking losses for Nowitzki himself.
In 2006/07, Nowitzki, who is from Germany, became the first European player to be named regular season MVP after leading the Mavericks to 67 wins and the West Conference No 1 playoff seed but his campaign ultimately ended in humiliation as Dallas suffered a 4-2 first-round loss to the eighth-seeded Golden State Warriors. The heavily-favoured Mavericks' season was over before Nowitzki had been presented with his MVP trophy.
That humbling loss compounded the pain of the 2006 Finals, where the Mavericks fell to a 4-2 series defeat at the hands of Dwyane Wade, Shaquille O'Neal and the Miami Heat. Thirteen years on, Dallas' players and team owner Mark Cuban remain angry about the manner in which the series was officiated.
Five years later, Nowitzki got his shot at redemption in the NBA Finals against a souped-up Miami Heat team now boasting LeBron James and Chris Bosh alongside Wade.
The Mavericks were viewed as underdogs against Miami's 'superteam' yet Nowitzki, supported by veterans Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Tyson Chandler, produced a career-defining performance as Dallas overcame a 2-1 deficit to win the series 4-2.
Nowitzki was the star of the show on the NBA's biggest stage, averaging 26.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in the series and earning Finals MVP honours, finally banishing the accusation that he couldn't 'win the big one' forever.
The defining image of Nowitzki in the 2011 Finals series is him leaning back and fading away to score with his patented one-legged jump shot over the flailing arms of Miami defenders.
At that time, Nowitzki's trademark scoring shot was the most unguardable shot in the game.
Nowitzki's Finals triumph not only defines his NBA career, it also transformed his public persona. Once seen as cold and taciturn in front of a camera, Dirk's championship victory freed him of the personal demons he carried following the Mavericks' earlier playoff failures and allowed him to express himself. He quickly became one of the league's most beloved figures.
And while a league lockout and the loss of key role players curtailed his team's hopes of successfully defending the title in 2012, Nowitzki's place as the NBA's greatest European player was assured.
In the seasons that followed, he slowly ascended the NBA's all-time scoring list - he currently has 31,250 points to his name - passing Wilt Chamberlain to crack the top five before LeBron James overtook them both earlier this season.
By playing this season (his 21st), Nowitzki passed Kobe Bryant for the most seasons any player has played for a single NBA franchise.
In February, along with old Finals enemy Wade, he was given a special invitation by league commissioner Adam Silver to play in the All-Star Game in Charlotte.
While many observers believe that Nowitzki will call time on his career at the conclusion of the 2018/19 regular season, he has yet not confirmed his intention to retire or continue.
If the visit of the Phoenix Suns proves to be the last time Mavericks fans see Nowitzki play on their court, it will be the final home appearance of the greatest European player to grace the NBA.
