I grew up in West Texas, where football is our thing. All I cared about was football; high school, Big 12, and the Dallas Cowboys. It wasn’t until I came to the Dallas area post high school in 2002 that I was introduced to the Dallas Mavericks and I have been a member of the elite society “MFFL” (Mavs Fan For Life) ever since. All I know is winning seasons, the Mavericks have won 50 or more regular season games in 11 consecutive seasons, dating back to 2001…..only owner I’ve ever known is Mark Cuban. Only coaches I know are Don Nelson, Avery Johnson, and Rick Carlisle. Ever since I joined the family, the Mavs have consistently had winning season, made the playoffs, and Dirk has been the man…ever year. Since their inaugural 1980–81 season, the Mavericks have won three division titles (1987, 2007, 2010), two conference championships (2006, 2011), and one NBA Championship (2011). Where is the R.E.S.P.E.C.T.?
We here at "MFFL" headquarters are used to being the underdog. I actually prefer it to be that way because that’s when we shine. When favored, we lose. When we are the underdog, our bark is as big as our bite!
Take 2006-07 for example (the year following the heartbreaking lose to the NBA referees in the Finals of 2006).The Mavs' had their best regular season, winning 67 games and earning them the NBA's best record. However, despite Nowitzki's MVP showing, the Mavericks were upset by their former coach Don Nelson and the 8th seeded Golden State Warriors in the FIRST round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs.
Then came 2010-11. We showed flashes of what was to come during the regular season but no one outside “MFFL” (with the exception of Charles Barkley) believed in the Mavs. The same “experts” who say we are going to lose to OKC in 5 this time around….are the same “experts” that had us losing against the Lakers, OKC, and Heat last year. But what happened? They returned to the NBA Finals after winning 57 regular season games, winning a close 6-game 1st round series against the Portland Trail Blazers; dethroning the NBA Champions of the past two years—the Los Angeles Lakers—in the Western Conference Semifinals (four-game sweep); and defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in 5 games in the Western Conference Finals to win their second Western Conference Championship. Then on to the NBA Finals for a second time to return the favor against the Miami Heat winning 4 games to 2 in Miami.
I said all that to say: Hate on Haters! That’s the M.O.….fight when their backs against the wall…they love to prove “experts” wrong! It all begins tomorrow night…and the rest will be history!
“I never expect to lose. Even when I'm the underdog, I still prepare a victory speech”- H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Think Like A Mav!
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