As we all know, the Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in a pivotal game 6 win in Miami Sunday night.  For now, I just want to write about what exactly this NBA finals showed me.

First off, we need to talk about the teams.  Lets give credit where credit is due.  The Dallas Mavericks played one hell of a series.  First and foremost, we have to give credit to Dirk Nowitzki.  Every time this guy shot the ball, you thought it was going to go in.  He hit shot after shot, and free throw after free throw.  But even when Dirk was struggling(9-27, only 2 FT attempts in game 7), the whole TEAM made up for it.  Whether it was Jason Terry hitting another clutch 3-pointer, JJ Barea creating something at will, or even Tyson Chandler grabbing key offensive rebounds to suck the last life out of the Heat.  As a Detroit native, and avid Detroit sports fan, congratulations to Rick Carlisle for winning this championship.  Congratulations to J Kidd for finally winning a championship.  Congratulations to Dirk and J Terry for finally getting their revenge from the 2006 finals.  And lastly, congratulations to the Dallas Mavericks franchise.

DeShawn Stevenson taking a blast at LeBron

Now, on to the the real reason for writing this blog: The Miami Heat.  Man, did they sure prove me wrong.  When LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavs, I was ecstatic to get him out of the Central Division!  I was even more ecstatic that he left the state of Ohio(which I hate) and how he did it!  Quite frankly, I wanted the Heat to win JUST to spite the state of Ohio.

BUT.. The tendencies didn't go away.  He was playing great through the playoffs UNTIL the big show.  That's when the real competitor comes out in people.  Perfect example: Michael Jordan.  6 NBA finals; 6 NBA championships; 6 NBA Finals MVPs.  Another great example: Usain Bolt.  The Jamaican sprinter who broke 3 world records in the 2008 summer Olympics, including an absolute dominating performance the 100M dash.  This guy is a competitor, an amazing athlete who strives in the spotlight.  Even his teammate, Dwayne Wade showed his drive to win by playing much better in the finals than any previous series.

So I ask you this: Did the Miami Heat beat themselves? Or did the Dallas Mavericks earn it?

Answer: The Heat beat themselves.

Now, wait a minute.  Let me explain.  Did the Mavericks DESERVE it?  Of course they did!  But that doesn't change the fact that the Miami Heat BLEW IT.  LeBron James choked.  Under immense pressure to carry his team into the promise land, he let them down.  I've never seen a superstar athlete, back down as much as he did.  I personally think he is one of the top 3 players in the entire NBA.  But he doesn't have the killer instinct.  The Miami Heat backed down, when their back was against the wall.  People love to hate the Heat, and they fueled everyone's fire this year.

Killer stat to end the night:  Nowitzki scored 62 total points(10.3 avg) in the 4th quarter during the series. LeBron James: 18 points(3.0 avg).

Good luck next year Miami!  LeBron, your time will come, I promise you that.  But you will never be the player that the great Michael Jordan was.  End of story.