NBA superstars LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki will each be chasing their first NBA Championships when the Miami Heat meet the Dallas Mavericks beginning Tuesday in Miami (9 p.m. ET, ABC). The Heat dispatched the Chicago Bulls Thursday night with a late comeback to win the Eastern Conference Finals in five games. The Mavericks advanced by defeating the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the Western Conference Finals.
For the Heat, this is what the season has been about. James famously leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join superstar Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, with the only goal being winning championships. James, 26, has reached the finals once, 2007 when the Cavaliers lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
Nowitzki leads an older Mavericks team. He is a 32-year-old 13-year veteran playing the best basketball of his illustrious career. In the playoffs he has averaged 28.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The Mavericks lost in the 2006 Finals to a Heat team led by Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. With other aging veterans like the 38-year-old future Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry the window for Nowitzki and the Mavs to win a title seems to be closing.
Here's the Finals schedule. All times are Eastern. All games are on ABC in the United States and TSN in Canada.
For the Heat, this is what the season has been about. James famously leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers to join superstar Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, with the only goal being winning championships. James, 26, has reached the finals once, 2007 when the Cavaliers lost to the San Antonio Spurs.
Nowitzki leads an older Mavericks team. He is a 32-year-old 13-year veteran playing the best basketball of his illustrious career. In the playoffs he has averaged 28.4 points and 9.3 rebounds per game. The Mavericks lost in the 2006 Finals to a Heat team led by Wade and Shaquille O'Neal. With other aging veterans like the 38-year-old future Hall of Fame point guard Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion and Jason Terry the window for Nowitzki and the Mavs to win a title seems to be closing.
- Game 1: Tue., May 31 in Miami, 9 p.m.
- Game 2: Thu., June 2 in Miami, 9 p.m.
- Game 3: Sun., June 5 in Dallas, 8 p.m.
- Game 4: Tue., June 7 in Dallas, 9 p.m.
- Game 5: Thu., June 9 in Dallas, 9 p.m.
- Game 6: Sun., June 12 in Miami, 8 p.m.
- Game 7: Tue., June 14 in Miami, 9 p.m.