Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks 2011 NBA Finals Game Worn Jersey | Game 3 | Finals MVP | 34 Points | Double-Double | Mavericks First Championship

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This jersey is 1 of 2 worn by Nowitzki on June 5, 2011, during Game 3 of the 2011 NBA Finals. In a hard-fought battle, Dallas fell 88-86, with Nowitzki missing a potential game-tying shot at the buzzer. Yet despite the loss, it was his highest-scoring game of the entire series, recording a double-double with 34 points, 11 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, and 3 blocks, a performance that captured the relentless determination he brought to every moment of that Finals run. Dallas would regroup and win the next three games, completing one of the sport's most memorable upsets.

This jersey has been photomatched by MeiGray.

In his 13th NBA season at the age of 33, Dirk Nowitzki delivered one of the greatest championship runs in league history, leading the Dallas Mavericks to the title in what many consider the biggest upset in NBA Finals history. Standing in their way was a Miami Heat team that had assembled a superteam, adding LeBron James and Chris Bosh to Dwyane Wade to form one of the most hyped and heavily favored rosters the league had ever seen. Few gave Dallas a chance. Nowitzki made sure that did not matter.

Nowitzki rose to the moment at every turn throughout the series. He tore a tendon in his left middle finger during Game 1, yet vowed the injury would not be a factor. In Game 2, he engineered a stunning comeback from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, capping the rally with a driving left-handed layup over Bosh to tie the series at one. In Game 4, playing through a 101-degree fever, he hit the winning basket to even the series again at two, a performance that drew immediate comparisons to Michael Jordan's legendary Flu Game against Utah in the 1997 NBA Finals. Dallas took the next two games, with Nowitzki scoring 10 fourth-quarter points in the series-clinching victory in Miami. He was named Finals MVP. It was the first championship in the history of the franchise.

Going Deeper | Dirk Nowitzki

Long considered one of the NBA’s best players, not to mention the greatest international player in basketball, German legend Dirk Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks. Known for his patented one-legged fadeaway jumper, Nowitzki nearly single-handedly transformed the Mavericks into a perennial playoff team and championship contender. He famously led the Mavericks to two NBA Finals appearances, including the 2011 NBA championship over LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the Miami Heat.