The Missing Trophy

I bet Dirk Nowitzki’s basement has everything. All of the regular man cave necessities: pool table, wet bar, home theater and rare memorabilia. It may even have some unique things: an accordion, a suspenders rack, a cigarette roller and a collection of authentic German beer steins. I’m sure it has it all.

Except for a painfully obvious gap on a shelf in between the 2007 Most Valuable Player Trophy and the 2006 Western Conference Championship Trophy, the only empty spot in an otherwise complete career. It’s the spot reserved for the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the coveted hardware awarded to the NBA Champion.

That’s why his reaction after his 48-point performance in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals against the Oklahoma Thunder isn’t surprising. After Nowitzki posted an NBA Jam-esque line of 12-15 from the field and 24-24 from the free throw line (I know, I know, there aren’t free throws in NBA Jam), he wasn’t concerned with stroking his ego after one of the best games of his career. He wasn’t “cheesing”, “mugging”, or preening after breaking the NBA record for most foul shots made without a miss. Neither was his coach Rick Carlisle. When asked about the record in the post-game press conference Carlisle asked which record Nowitzki broke.

LeBron James, resident "cheeser" and front-runner.

Even more, Nowitzki didn’t bother correcting overqualified sideline reporter Doris Burke after the game when she understated his performance, saying he “overshadowed” the 40-point game by Kevin Durant. It wasn’t that Nowitzki overshadowed Durant as much as he made him seem invisible.  

Call Nowitzki’s offensive style what you want (methodical, boring, European) but don’t for a second forget he’s been unstoppable in these playoffs shooting 52 percent from the field and averaging just over 28 points per game. I’ll be the first to admit, Game 1 for Nowitzki against the Thunder was an aberration shooting-wise but as evidenced by his post-game comments, he’s more concerned about the three more wins to reach The Finals than he is about the three shots he missed. With less than one minute left, up 116-110, Nowitzki made the most crucial play of the game, passing off the dribble to a wide-open Jason Terry in the corner for the game-clinching three. It was the kind of selfless play an MVP player makes when he's not concerned about his legacy or accolades. A player with one thing on his mind: a championship.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy

And with three more wins Dallas can position themselves for a rematch of the 2006 Finals against the Miami Heat. With Terry and Nowitzki being the only holdovers from that season, it would be an opportunity for them to exorcise old demons. Maybe even add one more trophy to the mantle. Then, Nowitzki would have it all.