“You just can’t give LeBron James freebies”: Dirk Nowitzki’s Hall of Fame teammate decodes The King, talks 2011 NBA Finals

5x assist leader reveals how they stopped LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh by just stopping the former of the three.

When LeBron James came up with “The Decision” to join forces with Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, it was majorly to deal with the Celtics side in the East and Kobe Bryant and Co from the West.

It was to snatch the championship away from the champions of the last three years. It couldn’t have crossed anyone’s mind that none of those three teams will lift the Larry O’Brien that year.

But there was somebody who was waiting for that season for 11 years and was one of the best players in the league who had never won a championship.

Also read: 5x Champion Kobe Bryant advised LeBron James to treat every practice like a game 7 so that he wins more

His name was Dirk Nowitzki, the heart and soul of the Dallas Mavericks franchise which was also thirsty for its first-ever NBA Championship.

But how did he and an average Mavericks team played not so average basketball and defeated arguably the biggest superstar trio in the game’s history? Let’s hear it from Jason Kidd.

How did Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks stop LeBron James?

The Mavericks caught themselves a lucky break when they got the future Hall of Famer, Kidd, in a midseason trade in 2008. His leadership, they expected, would be the missing piece to win a championship.

And rightfully so, not at the get-go, but he made Nowitzki’s team a chip contender after losing two years in the first round and one in the second. But defeating LeBron, Wade, and Bosh while doing so was the best part of it.

This is how they did it. Current Mavericks Head Coach revealed in All The Smoke podcast.

Having a career average of 28.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, it was the worst Finals series for the 4x Finals MVP who could just manage 17.8 points in that series, along with 7.2 rebounds and 6.8 assists.

Imagine the level of determination needed to defeat the dominance and finesse of LBJ, D-Wade, and Bosh. It seems like Nowitzki and Co. had all those things and more.

Also read: “That’s Like Dropping LeBron James.”: Joe Rogan Upset With People Disregarding Kamaru Usman After UFC 278 Loss

About the author

Akash Murty

An Electrical and Electronics Engineer by degree, Akash Murty is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Previously a Software Engineer, Murty couldn’t keep himself away from sports, and his knack for writing and putting his opinion forward brought him to the TSR. A big Soccer enthusiast, his interest in basketball developed late, as he got access to a hoop for the first time at 17. Following this, he started watching basketball at the 2012 Olympics, which transitioned to NBA, and he became a fan of the game as he watched LeBron James dominate the league. Him being an avid learner of the game and ritually following the league for around a decade, he now writes articles ranging from throwbacks, and live game reports, to gossip. LA Lakers are his favourite basketball team, while Chelsea has his heart in football. He also likes travelling, reading fiction, and sometimes cooking.

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