Skip to main content

Remembering The 2010-2011 NBA Season

DPNBA201011Season
The 2010-2011 NBA Season is now over, and the Miami Heat are NOT your 2010-2011 NBA Champions. Sounds good to me! Just kidding. Well sort of.  In a season that was one of the most anticipated as long as I can remember, the NBA has solidified itself as a brand that is back. With more stars than any other sport, and of course the most polarizing storyline in all of sports - the Miami Heat - the league is in great position today, and moving forward.
And in a season where so much was made of the Miami Heat, and most notably, LeBron James, the story of the Dallas Mavericks and, especially, Dirk Nowitzki deserves top billing. While the Heat dealt with several off the court issues and countless psycho-analysis, Nowitzki played one of the greatest NBA Finals yours truly has seen since the days of Michael Jordan. Simply phenomenal. And as we take a look back on the 2010-2011 season, here is one last cheers to the Dallas Mavericks organization on an effort that will be memorialized for seasons to come. Here are some other moments yours truly will remember from the 2010-2011 NBA Season:

  • LeBron James announcing that he was “taking his talents to South Beach”. Ugh…
  • The Miami Heat celebration. Double ugh…
  • The anticipated Celtics/Heat opener and hearing the Celtic fans chant “Ov-er-Ra-ted” at LeBron and company. A rare moment for myself enjoying listening to a Boston crowd.
  • Watching Kevin Love transform into Wilt Chamberlain against my New York Knicks, and going for a remarkable 30-30 game.
  • Blake Griffin having his coming out party, and his superstar initiation ceremony game into stardom, by throwing down dunk after dunk, specifically one om Timofey Mozgov, and another sweet one on Danilo Gallinari…
  • …and how nasty was that dunk on Mozgov? Wow.
  • LeBron James’ return to Cleveland, and the monster game he had in his return…
  • …and the way the Cleveland Cavaliers refused to fight back in front of a passionate crowd that night.
  • The Knicks having yet another wonderful week scheduled by the NBA, and coming up short three times against top opponents.
  • And oh yeah, ESPN refuses to show this, but how about my man Amar’e Stoudemire dunking on LeBron down in Miam…er South Beach (that is the cool phrase for the place, right?).
  • The Los Angeles Lakers destroying the Cleveland Cavaliers by 55 points.
  • The Melodrama, and the constant debate of what is a fair trade to acquire Carmelo Anthony.
  • The Spurs switching up their style, and becoming the best regular season team in the NBA.
  • …then bowing out to the exciting Memphis Grizzlies.
  • Kevin Garnett being ousted for his over-the-top antics by Spike Lee, and Charlie Villanueva.
  • The Cleveland Cavaliers losing 28 straight games…a North American record. Maybe they were burning Cavs jerseys after “The Decision”, and not necessarily LeBron jerseys?
  • The sudden resigning of Jerry Sloan.
  • The Heat constant drama. Whether it be their inability to beat teams over .500, their inability to close games, or their inability to be liked, it was all Heat, all the time!
  • Serge Ibaka being robbed in the dunk contest in one of the greatest dunks ever in the history of the contest.
  • JaVale McGee’s side-by-side backboard dunk.
  • Demar Derozan insane athletic ability.
  • And of course Blake Griffin, period.
  • And yes, a very entertaining dunk contest this year.
  • Carmelo Anthony finally being traded to my New York Knicks for what seems like bunch of players, staff, cab drivers, hot dog vendors, shares of Bank of America, Ellis Island, Nathan’s, and anything else Jim Dolan could have sent to Denver to land the superstar.
  • …and those awesome commercials welcoming home Carmelo Anthony.
  • …and yes, the night he debuted. Awesome night.
  • …and while we’re at it, the year the Garden returned.
  • The sudden trade of Deron Williams to the Nets. And the realization that the Nets and their move to Brooklyn is very real.
  • Nick Young’s insane 360 layup. A for sure nominee for DP “That Was The Greatest Play You Will Ever See By a Shortstop” Award.
  • Chris Bosh crying after more regular season Heat struggles.
  • And crying again, this time in public, on the floor, on his knees, after the final game of the NBA Finals.
    I like that he cares, but that’s embarrassing.
  • Playoff basketball finally returning to Madison Square Garden.
  • The Knicks being swept, yet, battling through all their injuries to make it a “close sweep”.
  • The Heat warming up (no pun intended), and LeBron James becoming superman in the NBA Playoffs.
  • The Los Angeles Lakers being swept by the Mavericks in the 2nd round.
  • An amazing, amazing, amazing, NBA Finals.
  • Despite shrinking from the moment, which included an 8 point performance, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade havj g the audacity to poke fun at Nowitzki’s illness in game 4, otherwise known as “cough gate.”
  • And finally, Dirk Nowitzki’s amazing run that captivated a nation through his will to win, his sheer determination, and most importantly, his likeable humility.
Labels:

Recently Read

Would You Rather: Questions 121-130

This edition of "Would You Rather" is credited to the NBA Would You Rather NBA Account on Instagram ( See Here ). Adding to the fun, this edition (and possibly future ones) are all NBA basketball questions.  121. Who would you rather have on your favorite NBA team - Giannis Antetokounpo or James Harden?  Seeing how I'm a lifelong suffering Knicks fan, the thought of any of these guys in blue and orange is hard to believe. With that said, I'm taking the Greek Freak for this reason - I enjoy watching him play a bit more. Nothing against Harden who is amazing as well, but at times, the ball sticks and that isn't always fun. Plus, I feel like we haven't yet seen a finished Giannis. 122. Would you rather have Giannis Antetokounpo with no driving ability or James Harden with no Three-Point shooting ability?  This is definitely a weird and unique one, but I'll take Harden. Giannis without his strength doesn't offer much. However, if Harden's d...
Read more

Yankees Postseason 2026, ALDS vs. Rays

This is easily the most anticipated series (and most expected?) for the New York Yankees. The two best teams during the regular season were expected to clash to determine American League prominence.  And yes, I agree that this upcoming series says a lot about the broken playoff structure in MLB. Allow me to step onto my soapbox for a mere moment... Up we go... I've never been a fan of the expansion to six teams per league. I understand that it keeps more markets in the playoff picture come September, and it is more revenue for all (likely, the biggest reason for the expansion). Still, all it did was create a scenario where division winners were at a disadvantage, and what we're getting here is the two best teams in the league facing off in a five-game series.  Ultimately, the Tampa Bay Rays, the top seed in the American League, are given the second-best record in their first-round, in a best-of-five?  None of this makes sense.  Stepping off now... Nonetheless, fellow...
Read more

Yankees Postseason 2026, Wild Card vs. Boston Red Sox

And we're back with another one of these read-along series. It wasn't too long ago that I found myself writing every other night as my Knicks marched their way to an NBA Championship.  Man, that still feels so good to indulge in.  But here we are on a similar journey for the Yankees.  Call me crazy, but I'm just not buying that the World Series is confirmed for anyone. Baseball has been weird all year, and part of said weirdness has been the parity, or dreadfulness - however you want to look at it - around MLB. In my opinion, the Yankees' pitching depth gives them a legit chance.  And with a lockout looming, 2027 might not present another chance. Why you gotta go there, man? I'm just saying... --- Game 1 Yankees d. Red Sox, 9-0 (Yankees lead Series, 1-0) Cam Schlittler is amazing. I sat on my sofa last year in Game 3 of the Wild Card between these two very rivaled teams and it felt like that dude was the best pitcher in the world. For the moment and game, it just fe...
Read more