(Photo by Mike Lawrie/Getty Images)
The 2010-11 NBA season will forever be special to the Dallas Mavericks because it’s the first – and currently only – time the team won the Finals.
It was a long road to the championship and it was filled with many challenges.
Speaking on “All The Smoke,” via SHOWTIME Basketball, Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki spoke about one particular injury that inspired the team to dig deep, play hard, and surge to the Finals.
During a New Year’s Day game, Caron Butler experienced a brutal knee injury that was both gruesome and debilitating.
Instead of taking a wheelchair back to the locker room, Butler powered himself on his own two feet and then pushed himself to the limit during the long rehabilitation process.
Nowitzki, who was hurt at the time of Butler’s injury, said that all Mavericks players took inspiration from the drive and determination of their teammate.
This is an incredible perspective. You can still impact winning even if you’re not on the court!
Dirk explains how Caron Butler’s relentless rehab journey served as motivation for the Mavs during their 2011 title run.
Full episode of #AllTheSmoke with @swish41 out now on our… pic.twitter.com/9unrd7Lh7m
— SHOWTIME Basketball (@shobasketball) December 1, 2023
That would be a turning point for Dallas, according to Nowitzki.
Following Butler’s mishap, the team came together even stronger and felt more driven.
In the end, they would secure a 57-25 record and propel past the Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Lakers, and Oklahoma City Thunder on their way to the Finals.
In that championship, they took down the Miami Heat in a 4-2 series and earned their title.
Nowitzki was essential to that Finals victory and produced an average of 26 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2 assists, which earned him Finals MVP.
Sadly, Butler was not a part of the championship run because the injury he suffered in January kept him on the bench for the rest of the season.
But the perseverance he showed after such a nasty injury was a key part of his team’s resounding success.
The post Dirk Nowitzki Details How 1 Injury Fueled Mavericks Title Run appeared first on The Cold Wire.