Finally...The NBA Finals

It is the Miami Heat against the Dallas Mavericks for the NBA Championship. This series has the potential to be one of the better battles in recent memory. A lot has been made of the various storylines that surround this matchup. However, to me, the biggest storyline is the impact the outcome will have on the legacies of many of the central figures. For example:

- Pat Riley is trying to end an eighteen year championship drought to win his fifth title as a head coach. While not considered the greatest coach of all-time, adding a championship would move him that much closer to the top.

- Shaquille O'Neal has three championships and three Playoff Most Valuable Player awards. A win in this series though would be his first without Kobe Bryant as his teammate. Already considered one of the top centers in history, and the top center by some, Shaq could silence the doubters and enhance his reputation as the most dominant player of his era.

- Dirk Nowitzki, at this point in his career, should be considered the best internationally born and trained NBA player ever. He would also be the first player whose training came entirely outside the United States to lead an NBA Championship team. Dirk Nowitzki is to the internationalization of the NBA what Kevin Garnett was for the youth movement - pioneers of a new era.

- Dwyane Wade is considered one of the top two players from the highly regarded 2003 NBA Draft and one of the top players in the League. However, only one player from that draft has an NBA Championship ring (Darko Milicic). In the race to be the best player in the League (and from that tremendous draft class), a championship would be a significant addition to Wade's resume.

A close seven game series would be ideal in my mind. If one team will win the series in five games or less, it would be Dallas. I am not sure I have a preference on a winner, but I do have a prediction... Dallas wins in six games.