This Year Is Different

Dallas sports talk host Bob Sturm sets out to explain how the 2011 Mavericks became NBA champions. Drawing on many interviews and his years as a passionate reporter covering the team, he looks at what bonded the players into a unit that won 57 regular-season games, eliminated Portland, Los Angeles and Oklahoma City in the playoffs, and then beat the Miami Heat to claim the Larry O'Brien Trophy.

The book traces how the franchise moved from chronic underachiever to a league powerhouse. It also follows Dirk Nowitzki's long quest for a championship, including the painful 2006 Finals defeat at the hands of Dwyane Wade and the Heat.

Sturm follows the ups and downs of the 2011 season, from the Mavericks rising to the top of the standings to critical injuries and a losing streak in midseason that put their playoff hopes at risk.

The final section offers a game-by-game account of the playoff run, through the opening round, the semifinals and the Western Conference Finals, on the way to the NBA Finals.