Moments before Game 6 began, it became self-evident the NBA Finals would soon conclude in a "Dead Heat." No performer with any pride would dare try to follow Marc Anthony's unparalleled interpretation of the national anthem.
So, who do you think was happier about the Mavericks becoming the first team in league history to win a championship without being credited for actually winning a game . . . Mark Cuban or Dan Gilbert?
No matter how the Mavs won each of the four, the airwaves and national opinion pieces centered on the opposition's flaws vs. Dallas' virtues.