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Relive the ups and downs throughout the entire 2010-11 Dallas Mavericks season with an hour-long montage pieced together by "Galloway & Company" producer Shaun Dodge and hosted by Jeff "Skin" Wade of "The Ben & Skin Show."

 

Mavericks forward Brian "The Custodian" Cardinal hopped on Galloway & Company Thursday to reflect on the 2010-11 NBA season, the relationship he forged with Dirk Nowitzki, and more.



On how he and Nowitzki became close friends

"I think he wishes he was bald, and I had hair. We just get along. We enjoy talking about a variety of things, not just basketball. I think we have some good humor and spare no expense on either one of us.

"We just have fun, we enjoy things, we enjoy life, we enjoy playing hoops and he's a likeable guy ... He's easy to get along with and it's been a blast getting to know him."

On the dance moves he exhibited at the AAC on Thursday

"The name [of the dance] is, 'Oh God please get me off this stage.' It was brutal. Anytime you can make SportsCenter ... Heck I was telling everybody in the locker room when I got dunked on by Dwyane Wade that I was Top Play."

To commemorate the Mavericks' franchise-first world championship, ESPN Dallas helps you relive the title celebration with custom desktop wallpapers.

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NBA Champion head coach Rick Carlisle joins GAC for an hour to talk about this amazing story for his Dallas Mavericks squad (part 1 of 2).

 

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NBA Champion head coach Rick Carlisle joins GAC for an hour to talk about this amazing story for his Dallas Mavericks squad (part 2 of 2).

 

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Rangers president and CEO Nolan Ryan joins GAC to congratulate the Mavericks on winning their franchise-first NBA title.

 

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Brendan Haywood is honored to be an NBA champion. He talks about his injury and role, says the series changed late in Game 2, can't explain what happened to LeBron, compliments Dirk's toughness, credits coach Rick Carlisle, and is happy for Jason Kidd.

 

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ESPN Dallas 103.3FM's Chuck Cooperstein says Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has enhanced his legacy with a title. Plus, Cooperstein says owner Mark Cuban was a hard working example for his players.

 

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ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan covers Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks' win over the Heat in the NBA Finals.

 

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Five-time NBA champion Steve Kerr says LeBron again lost confidence in his shot in Game 6 and didn't have anywhere to turn. Kerr says LeBron is more Scottie Pippen than Jordan who needs to polish his game.

 

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Mike Tirico shares his thoughts on Dallas' win over Miami in the NBA Finals and explains why he doesn't think LeBron James knows how to handle the media or his critics.

 

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ESPN's Jalen Rose gives credit to Dallas and Jason Terry for winning the NBA title.

 

MIAMI -- Mavericks owner Mark Cuban was having a ball. He yelled at the refs, cheered with his team and got a champagne bath.

"Did anybody inform you guys? We're world champions," Cuban told reporters after the Mavs ended the NBA Finals with a 105-95 victory over the Miami Heat in Sunday night's Game 6.

Cuban said earlier in the season that he didn't think the Heat would have success with the Big Three. When asked about those comments after the Mavs' win, Cuban said, "I could care less about the Heat. That's their problem. We played a great game. The Heat is a great team. They did their thing, we did ours. We scored more points, so that's all that matters."

Cuban did a nice thing by having NBA commissioner David Stern present the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy to original Mavericks owner Donald Carter.

Carter choked up when asked about getting the trophy from Stern.

"Mark is class," Carter said. "He's the only guy that I've ever known that loves basketball more than my wife. He's the only person. He has been such class and he just wanted to take it through the progression we started and he took it to the finish line and he really has. And he did it with class."

Cuban hasn't been as vocal during the postseason as he has been in years past. He's been fined numerous times by the league for his comments, mainly about the referees. This go-round, he decided to keep quiet.

"The big mystery, huh?" Cuban said. "We had just done playing Portland and going to L.A. I knew the questions everybody was going to ask. They were going to ask me about my repartee with Phil Jackson and the things I said about Ron Artest. I didn't want to get in the middle of a back-and-forth about that. And then we went to Oklahoma City and I was going to get asked about why I didn't vote to have the Sonics move so close to me. Why didn't I vote against it? Then about 2006, it didn't make any sense to say anything. The quieter I got, the more we won. I didn't want to break the karma."

MIAMI -- When the final buzzer was about to sound, Jason Kidd wanted the one thing point guards love to have: the basketball.

Standing near the scorers table, Kidd got the ball for the final dribbles of the 2010-11 season. The Dallas Mavericks knocked off the Miami Heat in six games, winning the final one 105-95 in Game 6 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night.

Kidd, a 17-year veteran, was smiling and hugging anybody he could.

"Man, it's a dream come true," Kidd said. "It's not real right now because just the battles against the Heat and understanding the journey, it's been a long journey for 17 years. I thought I had an opportunity in '03 to win a championship [with New Jersey], and I was on the other end. We lost to the Spurs."

In his third trip to the NBA Finals, Kidd finally got a championship. It's something all players seek when they enter this league, and Kidd, after getting there twice with the Nets, wasn't sure he would get here again.

But a midseason trade during the 2007-08 season changed things for him. The Mavericks sent a younger player, Devin Harris, to the Nets for Kidd in an eight-player deal. At first the deal didn't seem to work out for the Mavs with then-coach Avery Johnson. There was the game versus the San Antonio Spurs that season when Kidd was taken off the floor in the last 34 seconds of a loss.

"You have to talk to coach about that," Dirk Nowitzki told reporters at the time.

Kidd took the high road, saying he supported the decision. Still, a future Hall of Fame point guard taken off the floor in the closing moments of a game? Sounds crazy.

After Johnson was fired, Rick Carlisle came in and understood what he had in Kidd. He didn't have a player who was a scorer. He had a facilitator. An assist man who worked on his jumper just in case it was needed.

"His view of the game is so different, and he's savant-like," Carlisle said. "He's just been a thrill and a privilege to spend time with."

In these Finals, Kidd was the glue.

After Dwyane Wade and LeBron James had a little sparring session near the Mavericks bench in Game 2 after building a 15-point lead, it was Kidd who kept Jason Terry calm.

"Deuce is funny," said Terry, referring to Kidd by his jersey number. "He said being from Oakland, he said it brought out the GP in me. Everybody knows who GP is, Gary Payton. One of my idols. A good friend."

Terry sparked the dramatic rally that the Mavericks staged to win Game 2 on the road.

On Sunday night, when Nowitzki struggled with his shot (he was 4-for-19 after three quarters), Kidd got into the head of the Finals MVP and told him to keep going.

In the fourth quarter, Nowitzki made 5-of-8 shots, scoring only one fewer point in the fourth than Dwyane Wade and LeBron James combined.

"We just kept playing," Kidd said. "That just shows the character of this team. No matter how old you are, we understood how to play the game, by passing the ball and making sure that we didn't take shots where three or four guys are on you. We just made the extra pass. We didn't care who put the ball in the basket."

Relive the finals moments of the Mavericks' Game 6 win through the voice of play-by-play announcer Chuck Cooperstein.

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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban on what this title means for the fans, his players, and finally being able to plan a parade.

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Mavs guard DeShawn Stevenson declares his love for the Mavs and expresses how proud he is to be a champion.

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Mavs' Tyson Chandler shares what's in his heart and on his mind after beating the Heat in Game 6 to win an NBA title.

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Mavs forward Shawn Marion talks about how the team "came together" to win an NBA championship and that he intends to "rub it in."

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Mavs forward Brian Cardinal recounts the scene and emotions surrounding the team's Game 6 victory.

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Mavs' forward Caron Butler on rooting on the team from the sideline, and how he was a "couple days, week maybe at the most" from being able to play in the Finals.

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Mavs center Brendan Haywood describes the team as a "family" and touches on how Dirk Nowitzki "didn't have to go anywhere" to win his title.

DALLAS -- With Game 6 of the NBA Finals set to start shortly, American Airlines Center is ready.

Just about every seat is filled as the Mavericks look to win their first NBA championship with a win over Miami. Fans paid $5 to enter the arena and another $5 for parking, in most cases. The court and baskets remain in place as the fans are set to watch the game on the scoreboard.

“This is as close as we’ll get to see an NBA Finals game,” said Dallas Myers, who made the drive from Joplin, Mo., with his friend, Drew DeArmond.

The only seats not taken are the suites and some of the club areas. Fans are decked out in Mavericks’ gear from head to toe and the Fan Shop has done steady business since the doors opened at approximately 5:30 p.m.

There are even a few brave souls in LeBron James’ Heat jerseys.

MIAMI -- Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said center Brendan Haywood will be active for Game 6.

Haywood strained his right hip flexor in the fourth quarter of Game 2. He was inactive for Games 3 and 5 and played just three minutes in Game 4. Haywood said his hip didn't feel good after playing in Game 4.

The Mavericks went with a smaller lineup and used Ian Mahinmi off the bench in Haywood's absence.

The 7-footer is averaging 3.1 points and 4.1 rebounds in 18 postseason games.

MIAMI -- In the first game of the NBA Finals, the Mavericks used a zone defense early in the game to confuse the Heat. As this series has moved on, the Mavs mixed up the coverages with positive results.

Instead of just calling for the zone defense and staying with it for a few possessions, the Mavs are using it in the flow of the game so that the Heat are off balanced when they try and set their offense in the halfcourt. The Heat are not quite sure what defense they're seeing when it gets up court.

"It's bothered them a little bit," guard DeShawn Stevenson said of the different defenses. "We're doing it out of the flow. The first game we were just setting up in it and we had time to put shooters out there and run our zone defense. When we do it in flow and switch man to zone and zone to man it's tough for them."

The Mavs are also putting some double-teams on LeBron James in the front court forcing him to pass. He has 10 assists, in the Game 5 loss, and it also limited his ability to drive to the basket and get to the free throw line. He shot just two foul shots in Game 5 and has just 16 total for the series.

Dwyane Wade's ability to get to the line hasn't been stopped by the defense. He's attempted 42 free throws, only Dirk Nowitzki has attempted more with 44. But Chris Bosh hasn't been able to shoot on consistent basis, he's at 37.3 percent from the field, because the Mavs are getting a body on him as well.

"I think it’s difficult because it breaks them out of rhythm," center Tyson Chandler said. "We change things up and give them a couple looks and go to a different look and anything you do to break the rhythm of the offense is good."

Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle tells Galloway & Company that this rendition of the Mavericks is the very definition of team.

 

ESPNDallas.com's Jeff Caplan comments on the Mavericks' win over the Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and more.

 

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ESPN NBA analyst Jon Barry gives credit to Dallas for stepping up in crunch time. Plus, Barry says LeBron James does look stiff and flustered by the moment.

 

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ESPN.com Heat Index writer Brian Windhorst says the Heat are begging for forward LeBron James to step up in the fourth quarter, but he just hasn't come through.

 

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Will Perdue weighs in on Dallas' win over Miami in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and more.

 

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ESPN 760's Evan Cohen shares his thoughts on Miami's loss at Dallas in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James' late-game struggles and more.

 

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Ryen Russillo explains how Dallas got a victory in Game 5 and took the lead in the NBA Finals.

 

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ESPN LA 710 basketball analyst Dave Miller says there's nothing anyone can say to snap Heat forward LeBron James out of his slump. Superstars should rise to the occasion themselves.

 

Jason Kidd, the oldest player participating in these NBA Finals at age 38, was talking about the business of basketball late Thursday night. Kidd, who has played with several teams and is on his second stint with the Mavericks, understands that seasons dictate whether or not you stay with a specific team.

"You learn that about basketball, the business side, but you never stop working," Kidd said.

Which brings us to Mavericks forward Tyson Chandler. He's become an important player during this postseason run with the Mavericks one victory away from the franchise's first NBA title.

Chandler is a free agent when the season ends either Sunday with Game 6 or Tuesday in Game 7 and will be sought after due to his age, 28, and ability to score and defend.

"All of that will happen when it happens," Chandler said after scoring 13 points and grabbing seven rebounds in the Game 5 victory over the Miami Heat on Thursday night. "I'm focused on closing out [the series]."

But Chandler smiled when he was talking about the Mavericks because if he re-signs here it will give him the stability he's been looking for since coming into the league as a first-round pick in 2001. He played five seasons with Chicago, three in New Orleans, one in Charlotte and now the Mavericks.

In 74 regular season games, Chandler averaged 10.1 points and 9.4 rebounds. This postseason, Chandler has remained steady, especially on the defensive end with his 8.1 points and 9.3 rebounds per game averages.

"You just want the opportunity, that’s all I ever wanted my entire career was to be a winner and be associated with a winning team," Chandler said. "I get out there and I pour my heart out and play with a lot of passion. It feels good to just be recognized for that."

DALLAS -- In another tight game, the Mavericks had to come up with some key defensive plays in the fourth quarter against the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

With the Mavericks clinging to a 102-100 lead, forward Tyson Chandler drew a charge on LeBron James with 2:27 to play in the game. A few plays later, Jason Kidd hit a 3-pointer to push the Mavs' lead to five.

"I felt like it was a charge," said Chandler, after scoring 13 points in nearly 40 minutes. "I [had] seen him drive baseline a couple of times in the course of this game and actually in a couple of games now. I’ve been thinking, 'You know if I could get there and set and make him think I’m going to jump I can get a charge.' [It] just so happened to be at a key time."

The other big defensive play down the stretch came courtesy of Shawn Marion.

After Kidd's 3, Marion stole the ball from Dwyane Wade -- one of 16 turnovers by the Heat -- and even though Marion was blocked from behind by James on the other end, getting a defensive stop was big.

"Big steal, [I] thought I got fouled on the break," Marion said with a laugh.

Then Chandler blocked a Wade shot on the ensusing possession with 64 seconds to play.

After Jason Terry tied the game at 100 with a 3-pointer with 3:23 to play, the Mavs' defense held the Heat to 1-of-6 shooting from the field.

"We finally picked it up defensively," Chandler said. "We were scrambling getting around. We got to close the show, and finally we buckled down and made the stop."

Mavericks guard J.J. Barea on how "being aggressive and staying confident" contributed to his success in Game 5.

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Mavericks GM Donnie Nelson shares his thoughts on the outcome of Game 5, the series as a whole, Dirk's performance, and more.

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Mavs forward Brian Cardinal details the atmosphere surrounding Thursday night's game, and how it felt to have a significant impact on the game.

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Mavs forward Shawn Marion talks about the "big shots and big stops" down the stretch in Game 5 of the NBA Finals.

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Mavs guard DeShawn Stevenson dishes on being one win away from winning a title.