NBA Finals Preview

Dirk Nowitzki had just as many reasons to leave Dallas as LeBron James did to leave Cleveland. Both previously reached the NBA Finals and fell short. Both had dominant regular-season success overshadowed by early playoff exits.

But while LeBron left for Miami, Dirk decided to keep his talents in Big D. Now to see which decision results in that elusive championship ring.

"Been trying to get back to this stage ever since and fell short a bunch of times," Nowitzki said after the Western Conference finals, in which the Mavericks finished off Oklahoma City in five games.

Dallas is a veteran group that has been through, and lost, playoff battles. Jason Kidd twice lost in the Finals with the Nets. Jason Terry was with Nowitzki when the Mavericks lost in the 2006 Finals to Miami. Shawn Marion and Peja Stojakovic never before had gone beyond the conference finals.

"We have a bunch of unique stories," Nowitzki said.

Miami has one story: the summer of 2010, which resulted in "The Decision,'' the grouping of three All-Star talents -- James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh -- on one roster and the WWE-style preening on a stage in July before they even played a game together.

"I understand a lot of the backlash that came with me going to Miami, but I understand also that I did what was best for me, what was best for my family and what was best for me being a professional athlete," James said after the Heat eliminated the Bulls in the Eastern Conference finals. "I understand what this league is all about . . . The opportunity presented itself with this great organization and D-Wade came to me and said it was possible. We made it happen."

THE TATTOO

Before the season, Dallas' DeShawn Stevenson hosted a team-bonding event at his house that included a tattoo artist. Terry stunned his teammates by having the Larry O'Brien Trophy inked on the inside of his right biceps.

"It symbolized the fact we had a realistic shot of getting there," Terry told The Dallas Morning News. "If I didn't think we had a chance, I definitely wouldn't have put it there."

Terry says he'll remove the tattoo if the Mavs lose the series.

"It means it was bad luck," he said. "I'm very superstitious."

THE MIAMI HATE

Ever since the formation of the Superfriends, the Heat has become the team America loves to hate. But as success started to follow, the team has converted some nonbelievers and picked up a number of bandwagon jumpers along the way.

"We have about a month left of the continue of hate," Wade said. "We'll see what happens for next year."

WHY MAVS WILL WIN

The Heat stopped Derrick Rose's one-man band in Chicago, but Nowitzki has much more support. Dallas has a much stronger bench, with Terry, Stojakovic and J.J. Barea forming one of the best second units in the NBA. Barea teams up with Nowitzki to form an unstoppable pick-and-roll combination.

WHY HEAT WILL WIN

The NBA has yet to find a way to consistently stop two of Miami's three stars. Wade and Bosh may be controllable at times, but the Mavericks have no answer for James, who can win this championship by doing exactly what he's done in the playoffs: play the point guard position.

WHO WILL WIN?

The Mavericks. In six.