2011 NBA Finals

The 2011 series marked the first time a Finals match (Game 1) was played in the month of May since {{nbafy|1986}}.

The 2011 series marked the first time a Finals match (Game 1) was played in the month of May since {{nbafy|1986}}.

Among the players from both teams, only [[Dirk Nowitzki]] and [[Jason Terry]] of Dallas, and [[Dwyane Wade]] and [[Udonis Haslem]] of Miami, appeared in the 2006 series with the same team. Heat center [[Erick Dampier]] played for the Mavericks in 2006. Aside from Dampier, [[Caron Butler]], [[Juwan Howard]], and [[Shawn Marion]] are the only other players who have played for both the Mavericks and Heat. [[Eddie House]], [[Žydrūnas Ilgauskas]], [[LeBron James]] (James would reach the finals every year from 2011 to 2018, with both the Heat and the Cavaliers), and [[Jason Kidd]] have appeared in the Finals with different teams, with House (as a member of [[Boston Celtics|Boston]]'s [[2008 NBA Finals|2008 championship team]]), Wade and Haslem winning a championship ring. Mavericks head coach [[Rick Carlisle]] won a championship as a reserve for Boston's 1986 championship team making him only the eleventh person in NBA history to win a Finals as both a player and a coach.

Among the players from both teams, only [[Dirk Nowitzki]] and [[Jason Terry]] of Dallas, and [[Dwyane Wade]] and [[Udonis Haslem]] of Miami, appeared in the 2006 series with the same team. Heat center [[Erick Dampier]] played for the Mavericks in 2006. Aside from Dampier, [[Caron Butler]], [[Juwan Howard]], and [[Shawn Marion]] are the only other players who have played for both the Mavericks and Heat. [[Eddie House]], [[Žydrūnas Ilgauskas]], [[LeBron James]] (James would reach the finals every year from 2011 to 2018, with both the Heat and the Cavaliers), and [[Jason Kidd]] have appeared in the Finals with different teams, with House (as a member of [[Boston Celtics|Boston]]'s [[2008 NBA Finals|2008 championship team]]), Wade and Haslem winning a championship ring. Mavericks head coach [[Rick Carlisle]] won a championship as a reserve for Boston's 1986 championship team making him only the eleventh person in NBA history to win a Finals as both a player and a coach.

Prior to the start of the season, Jason Terry tattooed the [[Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy]] on his right biceps.{{cite web|last=Freeman|first=Eric|url=https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/jason-terry-got-a-tattoo-of-the-championship-trophy-before-the-season?urn=nba,wp3909|title=Jason Terry got a tattoo of the championship trophy before the season|work=Yahoo.com|date=May 26, 2011|access-date=November 29, 2017}}

===Road to the Finals===

===Road to the Finals===