An instant book celebrating the greatest stories from the Dallas Mavericks -- newly updated to include the 2011 NBA Championship!

After five years, the Dallas Mavericks redeemed themselves in emphatic fashion in 2011, besting LeBron James and Miami to claim the franchise's first championship. The Mavs were led by Dirk Nowitzki, one of the league's most underappreciated superstars. Packed with stunning color photography, this must-have championship keepsake details every game of the thrilling postseason and profiles the Mavericks' leading personalities, including Nowitzki, Terry, Carlisle, and colorful owner Mark Cuban. This has been a season to remember for Mavericks fans and this book will be the perfect way to relive all the best moments for years to come.

Two young fans, the Dallas Mavericks mascot, Champ, and Cort the Sport enjoy the sights, sounds, and excitement of a basketball game.

In the 1990's, Dallas was a basketball wasteland. Luckily for the city, along came Dirk Nowitzki, a towering Würzburg, Germany native with a cool efficiency and the ability to basket shots from seemingly impossible angles. Nowitzki spent his entire 21-season NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks, the longest tenure of any one player with one team in the league's history, and led them to their first and only NBA championship, while being named a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA Team member, and the first European player to receive the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award. Zac Crain, award-winning journalist for D Magazine who moved to Dallas the same year that Nowitzki began his career in the city, memorializes Nowitzki’s career through a lyric essay reminiscent of Hanif Abdurraqib's Go Ahead in the Rain that mixes with author's story with the basketball legend's, charting the highs and lows (and mostly highs) of the Mavs' all-time statistical leader’s career and what they mean to the city of Dallas and its now basketball-obsessed citizens.

For 31 years, The Dallas Mavericks had seasons end in disappointment. Every year, they tried again to find the right combination, only to find another dead end. But in the 2010-11 season, the Mavericks finally found the right mix around their superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, and shocked the basketball world by winning their first NBA Championship. Through extensive interviews and covering the Mavericks as a passionate journalist, Sturm illuminates what exactly brought the Mavericks together as a team. THIS YEAR IS DIFFERENT covers all the important details of the Dallas Mavericks' 2011 championship season, including: The transformation of the Dallas Mavericks franchise from perennial loser to NBA powerhouse. Dirk Nowitzki's career-long battle to cement his dynasty with an NBA championship, including a bitter loss in the 2006 Finals to Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat. Tracing the ups and downs of the 2011 campaign, as the Mavs soared to the top of the standings, only to suffer critical injuries mid-season and a string of losses which threatened their playoff hopes. A game-by-game recap of the Mavericks' 2011 playoff run, as they battled through the quarter-, semi-, and Western Conference Finals for a chance to compete for the NBA championship. The epic story of the 2011 NBA Finals, as Nowitzki and the Mavs took on Miami's "Big Three," in a rematch of Dallas' heartbreaking loss in the 2006 Finals, and how the Mavericks overcame all odds to win their first NBA Championship.

A revised Team Spirit Basketball edition featuring the Dallas Mavericks that chronicles the history and accomplishments of the team. Includes access to the Team Spirit website which provides additional information, photos, and updates during and after the season. Table of Contents, Glossary, Timeline, Bibliography of additional resources and Index. Aligns to Common Core State Standards requirements for Reading Informational Text.

The Inside the NBA series gives readers an inside look at the basketball teams that make up the National Basketball Association. Each team’s history, uniforms, accomplishments, equipment, key players, coaches, and much more are covered in detail in this exciting series. Sports fans will love the brilliant photographs and fun facts of the Inside the NBA series. Each AV2 media enhanced book is a unique combination of a printed book and exciting online content that brings the book to life. Readers can access embedded weblinks, audio and video clips, activities, and other features, such as a slide show, matching word activity, and quiz.