One thing I haven't heard mentioned is how similar Jason Terry's NCAA title run in '97 with Arizona was to this year's pro title run.

In '97, Arizona was a 5 seed, and knocked off 3 #1 seeds to win the title. UNC was the up and coming talented squad, much like OKC. Arizona beat them in the final 4, just like OKC. Kentucky was the defending champs, just like LA. Arizona beat them in the championship game. Kansas was the favorite going in; Arizona beat them in the Sweet 16.

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In '97, Arizona was a 5 seed, and knocked off 3 #1 seeds to win the title. UNC was the up and coming talented squad, much like OKC. Arizona beat them in the final 4, just like OKC. Kentucky was the defending champs, just like LA. Arizona beat them in the championship game. Kansas was the favorite going in; Arizona beat them in the Sweet 16.

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In 2011, the Mavs were a 3 seed, and knocked off #6, #4 and #2 of their own conference and the #2 of the Leastern Conference.

Not similar in the least...

You're probably too young to even remember 1997. I was a graduate student at UNC at the time. Save your thumbs down for something you know a little about.

Let me save you the trouble and point out other differences:

1) Mike Bibby played on the losing team this time (do you even know where he went to college?)

2) Lute Olson isn't the coach of the Mavs.

3) The NBA has 16 play-off teams instead of 64.

4) Mark Cuban doesn't own the University of Arizona.

5) College tourney games are not best of 7.

6) The NBA doesn't pay as well as Kentucky.

I'm sure you can think of a few others.

Ooo, pulling the "age" card and running off with a bunch of assigned-strawmen and misnomers in order to make yourself sound more intelligent.

Please, explain more about the world to me, wise man...

Shizz just got real

SuperAg puts in his early nomination for dewsh of the day.

[This message has been edited by rcb05 (edited 6/15/2011 8:11a).]

What's funny is now everyone is ready to talk about how bad all these teams the mavericks beat were - meanwhile, even when they had the Lakers down 2-0, multiple NBA guys put them as the 4th most likely team left to win it all behind 1. Miami 2. LA and 3. Boston.

They sweep #2 on that list and win in 6 (winning 2 of 3 on the road) against the #1 team on that list.

Now everyone loves to harp on their seed - "Oh, Miami and LA were 2 seeds - hardly impressive". Of course, before the series it was "Dallas is going to get swept by the Heat - they just DESTROYED the team with the NBA's best record and MVP - they're going to dominate Dallas".

[This message has been edited by JDCAG (edited 6/15/2011 8:36a).]

Any time you have to beat four of the top 10 players in the NBA (Durant, Kobe, Lebron, Wade) to win a title, you earned it.

What I think is cool is that after the Mavs won on Sunday, they added two players to the ultra-exclusive list of ACTIVE NBA players who have won both an NBA and NCAA championship. Both Jason Terry and Corey Brewer (although Brewer hardly played) have now joined that list.

For bonus points, who are the other ACTIVE players who have won both an NBA and NCAA title? No cheating by looking it up.....

Jordan
Magic

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Jordan
Magic

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I even capitalized "ACTIVE" twice....

My bad

Ray Allen?
Rip Hamilton?

No prob

Any guesses anyone?

Rip Hamilton is correct.

Ray Allen never even got to the Final Four.....

Last guess

Shannon Brown?

As a hint, there is only one more on the list. Jason Terry, Corey Brewer, Rip Hamilton, and this player.....

It's an exclusive club, which is why it's so awesome the Mavs added TWO players to that list.

Sorry keith, Shannon Brown got to Michigan State well after they won their title in 2000.

Well, at least you know I didn't cheat and look them up.

How exactly am I the dewsh?

I'm in no way trying to belittle the Mavs championship. I'm just not trying to compare it to a David vs Goliath battle where they were the 8 seed going through the Harlem Globetrotters.

They were a 3 seed, who beat some very very good teams on the way to a championship.

Why can't that be enough? why is it not enough to just have accomplished a great goal? Why must it be compared to the ULTIMATE underdog series of victories against insurmountable odds?

[This message has been edited by SuperAg05 (edited 6/15/2011 9:55a).]

Probably because they ripped through 7 All-NBA teamers with exactly one all star, including the best defensive team (Portland), the most electric scorer (Durant), the 2-time defending champions (the Lakers), and then Cerberus.

And they lost all of 5 games in the process.

Tayshaun Prince?

*sigh*

John Stockton - HOF
Karl Malone - HOF
Charles Barkley - HOF
David Robinson (MVP?) - HOF
Penny Hardaway
Shaq - HOF

...it's been done.

Udonis Haslem?

I seem to remember him playing in a national championship.

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As a hint, there is only one more on the list. Jason Terry, Corey Brewer, Rip Hamilton, and this player.....

It's an exclusive club, which is why it's so awesome the Mavs added TWO players to that list.

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This is a good trivia question. I've been racking my brain for 5 minutes. Without looking it up I'm going to guess Nazr Mohammed? Maybe he was on the kentucky team that won the title in '98 and on the spurs in '05? It's my best guess without looking it up...

[This message has been edited by cdhaggie07 (edited 6/15/2011 10:21a).]

I had to look it up, it was annoying the hell out of me. Nazr Mohammed is correct. I would have never guessed that.

Dammit. Tayshaun came into Kentucky the year after.

Sweet, what do I win? That was a tough one I wouldn't have thought of him if I hadn't seen him in the Oklahoma City-dallas series. It triggered something in my memory

Sorry it took me so long to respond. Actual work got in the way....

Nazr Muhammed is correct!

I was just thinking...if Miami had won, Bibby and Chalmers would've been in the active NCAA/NBA champs club. So either way, the club was being doubled this year.

Crazy.

Superag,

How many 3 seeds or lower have won the title? How many that won were not defending champs or former champs that could afford to coast a little in the regular season because they knew how to win? Not many.

How many champions were clear underdogs in 2 series and barely favored in the other 2? I'd like to see a list

Great trivia question!

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How many 3 seeds or lower have won the title? How many that won were not defending champs or former champs that could afford to coast a little in the regular season because they knew how to win? Not many.

How many champions were clear underdogs in 2 series and barely favored in the other 2? I'd like to see a list

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ooo, do I get to make up random thresholds to make a "great" champion too?

How many teams won a championship with a guy named Otis on their team?

How many teams were able to dominate a center that was also a member of the US Navy on the way to a title?

How many teams had Red as one of their team's primary color, yet did not face a single team on the way to their title with Red in their color scheme?

Not many...

'11 Mavs and '95 Rockets had the 2 most inspiring play-off runs that I can recall.

SuperAg05 has the most incurable case of mouth runs I can recall.

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'11 Mavs and '95 Rockets had the 2 most inspiring play-off runs that I can recall.

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If it makes you happy, I agree with this statement.

Though I'm sure arguments could be made for 2006 (Heat 1st championship), 2004 (Pistons w/ no superstar take down the star-filled Lakers), and 1999 (Shaq brings the Lakers back to former glories)