With the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Championship win on Sunday night, Dirk Nowitzki was selected as the NBA Finals MVP, becoming the third foreign-born player to win the honor, joining Hakeem Olajuwon and Tony Parker. In receiving the trophy from Bill Russell (the award's namesake), Nowitzki told the crowd he couldn't believe that after 13 years in the league and 11 playoff runs, the Mavericks had finally won the championship.
NBA Finals MVP Dirk Nowitzki ‘Still Really Can’t Believe’ Dallas Mavericks’ Championship
Nowitzki averaged 26 points per game in the Finals, boosting his regular season scoring clip (23 points per game). He also increased his rebounding from 7.0 per game to 9.6. His shooting (51 percent in the regular season, 41 percent in the Finals) did drop precipitously, though.
He was the only real option for Finals MVP; Tyson Chandler, whose defense was simply amazing all series long, maybe have been the next best candidate. There was some early consternation in the Finals about whether LeBron James or Dwyane Wade would win the Finals MVP had the Miami Heat won the title. That proved to be a needless worry.
For more on Dirk’s amazing run, visit Mavs Moneyball and SB Nation Dallas.
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