The Dallas Mavericks are NBA Finals bound after taking care of business against the Minnesota Timberwolves in a five-game Western Conference finals series.
It's been 13 years since the Mavs were last in the NBA Finals, when Dirk Nowitzki led the team past LeBron James and the Miami Heat for the franchise's lone title, and outside of star guard Kyrie Irving and veteran forward Markieff Morris, there's not much championship experience on the current roster. Even Luka Dončić will be making the first NBA Finals appearance of his career.
After the series-clinching win in Game 5, Irving, who will be making his fourth NBA Finals appearance, offered some words of advice to his teammates about the looming championship bout.
"Just enjoy the moment and realize how hard you worked to get there," Irving told TNT’s Ernie Johnson. "Nothing's guaranteed in this league, especially making it to the finals every year. We couldn't have done it without a collective responsibility. Us working together, every single day, practicing hard, doing the little things. We should reward ourselves by playing hard."
"Enjoy the moment... realize how hard you worked to get here... nothing is guaranteed in this league"
Kyrie's advice to his teammates that haven't played in an NBA Finals yet 🙌
The #NBAFinals presented by @YouTubeTV begin Thursday, 6/6 at 8:30pm/et on ABC! pic.twitter.com/nMXZZYuAyL
Irving won a championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016, and he'll be looking to add another ring to his collection eight years later. His experience in these types of moments will be something his teammates can lean on as he and the Mavericks take on the Boston Celtics.
KARL RASMUSSEN
