The Boldest Tattoo in NBA History
Trophy first, Title Later.
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
Tattoos last a lifetime, so when choosing the ink, opting for something that won’t backfire or be regrettable in the future would be the best business decision. Its better to get a tattoo of your parent’s birthdays then your current fling. But for Jason Terry, he decided to get a tattoo of the Larry O'Brien Trophy on his arm on October 19, 2010, 7 days before the start of the 2010-2011 NBA season. A man, who had not even won an NBA ring, was confident enough to get a tattoo of something that was definitely not certain at the time.
Yet, he didn’t just speak it- he yelled it into existence. In 2011, his Dallas Mavericks, went on to win the NBA championship in one of the most arduous and unexpected paths to a ring in NBA history. He played a very crucial role as the Mavs 2nd leading scorer and helping them go all the way and his tattoo was one of the biggest off-court reasons why. This motivated the Mavs to defy expectations and fight for NBA immortality, and they did it.
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Let’s talk a little bit about why this tattoo was so bold. Preseason championship odds on October 26, a week after Terry got the ink, put the Mavericks at +2200 odds to win the championship, putting them as the 7th favorite team to win. The teams in front of them ? The Miami Heat who had just made a superteam with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh at 1st with +175 odds. The Los Angeles Lakers, who were vying for a 3-peat at 2nd. The Magic, Bulls, and Thunder; all young teams with well-built cores and young superstars. Lastly, the Boston Celtics, the previous year’s runner-up and with a capable and by that time, healthy team that were seeking revenge.
Then, you have the Dallas Mavericks. A team that, to their credit, was very well-built around their superstar, Dirk Nowitzki, who was going into his 13th season in the league. They had pieces such as Terry, Jason Kidd, Caron Butler, and Shawn Marion to name a few. They had also acquired Tyson Chandler in the offseason for an interior presence, although he had some concerning drops in his production the prior two seasons.
This team was good, but compared to the rest ? No one was taking them seriously. Then they won 57 games for 3rd in the West. Okay, not bad. Then, they beat their first-round matchup Blazers in 6. But the Lakers were next. That might be it for the Mavericks…wait, they swept them ? Okay, the Thunder were next with the scoring champion, Kevin Durant. They got beat in 5. Well, the Super Miami Heat were next so that might just end the dream. See ? The Heat went up 2-1 they just had to close out Game 4 to have an insurmountable 3-1 lead.
Photo by Brandon Wade/Getty Images
The Mavericks ended up taking the rest of the games. Winning the Championship off of stellar and iconic play from their homegrown star, Dirk Nowitzki, against teams that everyone thought they had no chance against. It’s funny that the Blazers pushed them further than the Lakers and Thunder did. Players like Peja Stojacković and J.J. Barea had their moments. As for Terry ? Well, let’s talk about his best games and moments from the regular season and each of the playoff series’ the Mavericks overcame to win the championship. Take this as a tribute to one of the ballsiest moves in NBA history and how important it is to believe in yourself even with the odds (literally) stacked against you.
Foreshadowing (December 20, 2010 vs Miami Heat)
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
In what would be a preview of the NBA Finals 7 months later, the Mavericks would visit the Heat mid-December. They would end up winning 98-96 against a Heat team that was on a 12 game winning streak. Terry would score 19 points in the victory, which doesn’t seem too extraordinary until you realize that he scored all of his points in the 4th quarter. He would turn up the clutch meter in a game that would end up being major foreshadowing for what would happen in the Finals the following June.
Revving up the Jet ( West 1st Round Game 3 vs Portland Trail Blazers)
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
After scoring only 10 points each in Games 1 and 2, Terry needed a game that would get him ready for what was going to be a long postseason for him. In Game 3 against the Blazers, he did just that. 29 points on 77% with 5 threes. This was the game that woke him up in preparation for the rest of the postseason. The Mavericks would end up losing this game, but with a comfortable 2-1 lead, the Mavericks would eventually take the series in 6 with The Jet averaging 21 PPG for the rest of the series.
Lights Out (West 2nd Round Game 4 vs Los Angeles Lakers)
Video clip sourced from nbahdvideo Youtube Channel. Original Link.
The Mavericks had the Lakers in a spot they hadn’t been in in a long time. Facing a sweep for the first time since 1999. And no, this isn’t a happy ending for them, because the Mavericks eviscerated them in Game 4. In what would be Jason Terry’s greatest playoff performance, he would score 32 points on 78.6% on the field and 9 three point field goals, the latter of which tying an NBA playoff single game record at the time. The Mavericks had the number of the defending back-to-back champions throughout the series and the 36 point blowout in Game 4 to seal the sweep was the exclamation point on the series. Shoutout as well to Peja Stojaković, who went 6/6 from 3 as part of the 3 point barrage on the Lakers. Terry’s performance along with the sweep showed that the Mavericks were not just trying to be a failed cinderella run.
Robin Type Performance (West Finals Game 1 vs Oklahoma City Thunder)
Photo by Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports
This game was about Dirk Nowitzki’s legendary 48 point performance on 80% FG and 24/24 free throw shooting. Terry was there to make sure it wouldn’t go to waste. Coming off the bench as one of the more reliable 6th men in league history, Terry would add on 24 points to Nowitzki’s 48, helping to take a 9 point win over the young but hungry Thunder. They would win the series in 5 and that would catapult them back to the biggest stage against a familiar foe.
Finished the Job (NBA Finals Game 5 and 6 vs Miami Heat)
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
The Mavericks had done what some would never think was going to happen. Be on the cusp of an NBA championship against the favored Miami Heat. It’s Game 6 and the Mavs had faced series deficits, 15 point 4th quarter comebacks, and stellar superstar defense to get here. It;s time to finish the job. Dirk had been through a lot during the series, being the main focal point of the Mavs offense and having his own "Fever Game". He needed some help and once again, the Jet came to his side. 27 points from Terry on 68.8% shooting to lead the Mavericks in scoring and help put away the Heat.
Terry had a similar clutch performance in Game 5 as well, going for 21 points and hitting two of the biggest threes of his life in the 4th quarter to give the Mavericks their first series lead in the Finals and a win away from immortality.
These two games were a show of how gutsy Terry was and how much he believed in himself and his team to do the unthinkable.
Immortality
Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images
After the buzzer sounded in Game 6 and the Mavericks had officially won the title, you could only imagine what was going through Terry’s mind.
A man who was brought into the organization in 2004 with uncertainty over what his roadmap as a member of the Dallas Mavericks was going to be. A man who went through grueling stretches of disappointment in 2006 and 2007. A man who decided to get a tattoo with no certainty of whether it would ever be fulfilled.
That man is now an NBA champion and just as much as his ink on his right bicep is immortalized on his body, his success and the bet that he took on himself when no one else did is now just as eternal.