Mavericks slay Heat to win NBA Championship

Dirk Nowitzki finally got the chance to

hoist the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

So was that as good for you as it was for me?

The Dallas Mavericks won their first NBA Championship in franchise history last night, beating the Miami Heat 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals.

Not since the New York Giants beat the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII have I rooted for a team (not my own) as vehemently as I rooted for the Dallas Mavericks to beat the Miami Heat in this year's Finals.

Despite joining forces with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh back in July, LeBron James was once again denied that elusive championship -- the title he bolted from Cleveland to win in South Beach.

Yes, the majority of basketball fans out there were pulling for the Heat to lose. But for me, it wasn't all about the Heat going down. Even as a Knicks fan, it was simply tremendous to see the Mavericks win their first title in the manner in which they did.

To see Nowitzki, a sure fire Hall of Famer, get his first ring and shed the memory of an NBA Finals collapse back in 2006 was great. To see his teammate, Jason Terry, go absolutely bonkers throughout this series was the height of entertainment. Perhaps above all else, watching Jason Kidd validate his Hall of Fame credentials and finally win a championship after 17 seasons as a premier maestro at the point guard position was really special.

But most of all, this year's Finals provided us with a truly memorable match-up. I went as far to call it a Good Guys vs. Bad Guys series, with LeBron and Wade reprising the roles of villains, while Dirk & Co. were cast as super heroes.

Ultimately though, Dallas will be remembered as a team built on the intangibles of heart, grit, poise and togetherness. Most importantly, the Mavericks were a true embodiment of the word 'team.'

The Heat, which formed in the most inorganic and contrived of manners, are built on star power. The Mavericks are built on will power. You saw that will power throughout the series, as the Mavericks continually answered the bell in the fourth quarter. Miami, on the other hand, with all its star power, repeatedly withered in the biggest of moments.

As we have officially entered era of NBA super teams made up of super stars, it sure was fun to watch a consummate team beat the likes of the star-driven Heat and win the NBA Championship

I'll be posting plenty more on the NBA Finals tomorrow. For now, I'm off for some much-needed sleep.

One thing is certain though: the nightmare of the Heat winning the NBA Championship is not one I'll be having tonight.