NBA Legend Magic Johnson Reveals 3 Reasons Why The Dallas Mavericks Are in the NBA Finals

Magic Johnson appeared in 9 NBA Finals in 13 years and knows better than anyone how hard it is to climb to the mountaintop

May 30, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving (11) and guard Luka Doncic (77) celebrate with teammates after winning the Western Conference Championship against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports / Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Mavericks will play in the NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics starting on Thursday, June 6th. With it being their 3rd Finals appearance in franchise history, they don't have the storied success their opponents do but feature a star-studded backcourt in Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving that has lifted them to this level. NBA Hall of Famer Magic Johnson listed them as part of his 3 reasons why the Mavericks are in the Finals.

The 3 reasons the Mavs are in the NBA Finals -

1.Luka and Kyrie have formed one of the best backcourt scoring duos and really learned how to coexist and feed off of each other.
2.Jason Kidd got the entire team to buy in on defense this year, from the start of training camp to…

— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) June 3, 2024

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Johnson said on X/Twitter: "The 3 reasons the Mavs are in the NBA Finals -
"1. Luka and Kyrie have formed one of the best backcourt scoring duos and really learned how to coexist and feed off of each other.
"2. Jason Kidd got the entire team to buy in on defense this year, from the start of training camp to now. They look like they take pride in both individual and team defensive assignments.
"3. GM Nico Harrison should get a lot of the credit! He brought in 4 new starters to play alongside Luka (Irving, Washington, Jones Jr., and Gafford) and the top two reserves (Lively and Green). That's 6 out of 7 players getting consistent minutes - he definitely created a championship contending team"

While the Lakers' legend gives a lot of praise to Nico Harrison, and rightfully so, Josh Green was drafted by the Mavericks in 2020, so he was brought in before Harrison took over, making it five of the seven players getting consistent minutes. It's still been an impressive turnaround for the Mavericks considering their limited tradeable assets after missing the playoffs altogether last season.

Doncic and Irving didn't have success after Irving was traded to Dallas last year and many pundits questioned their fit together once Irving re-signed with the team over the summer. They've quieted the critics by leading the team to the NBA Finals just one year later. The two combined to average 59.5 PPG in the regular season and 51.6 PPG in the playoffs.

Jason Kidd also deserves a lot of credit for how well he's been coaching and game-planning this postseason. He caught a lot of flack after missing the playoffs and some fans wanted him fired for his messy rotations, line-ups, and in-game decisions, but he's been outstanding in their current run. The Mavericks signed him to a contract extension following the first round of the playoffs and has a 5-1 record as a head coach in playoff series. He has a chance to join Billy Cunningham, Bill Russell, K.C. Jones, Tom Heinsohn, and Pat Riley as the only coaches to have won a championship on the same team they won a title on as a player.

Magic Johnson has as successful of a career as one can have in the NBA, with nine NBA Finals appearances in 13 years. He made the Lakers contenders the second he stepped on the court and knows as well as anyone how hard it can be to win a championship.

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