"Hey LeBron, how does my Dirk taste": NBA fans hilariously compare Donald Trump’s "3 against 1" situation to Dirk Nowitzki’s triumph over Heat

During the 2011 NBA Finals, Dirk Nowitzki found himself matched up against one of the most talented big threes in history. Over a decade removed from this matchup, fans are now using it as the source of jokes from the recent presidential debate.

Last week, former US President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris held a debate ahead of the 2024 election. Following this event, Trump went on his "Truth Social" platform to share his thoughts on how things went down. He claimed the debate was three against one, stating that the proctors were also against him.

This remark led to a series of NBA fans comparing it to when Dirk Nowitzki faced off with LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

Dirk Nowitzki after beating the Heat in 2011 byu/amonamarth22 innbacirclejerk

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Comment byu/amonamarth22 from discussion innbacirclejerk

Dirk and the Dallas Mavericks were seen as massive underdogs in these finals, but they managed to overcome the star-studded Miami Heat roster. The German forward played a crucial part in their success and took home Finals MVP honors. This victory would end up going down as the only title win in Nowitzki's Hall of Fame career.

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Dirk Nowitzki was the lone star on the 2011 NBA champion Dallas Mavericks

The reason why NBA fans are comparing Donald Trump's comments to the 2011 Dallas Mavericks is because of their roster makeup. Dirk Nowitzki was the only All-Star on that roster that season, but they still managed to go on and win the championship against the Heat's newly formed trio.

While Nowitzki might have been the only star at the time, the Mav's supporting cast was loaded with high-impact players who were on the back end of their peaks. Some of the notable players include Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Caron Butler, Tyson Chandler and Jason Terry. With this depth, Dallas was able to overwhelm the combination of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The Mavericks needed a big series from Dirk Nowitzki if they wanted any chance at an upset, and he managed to deliver. Across the six games, he averaged 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists.

Dirk's best outing of the 2011 NBA Finals came in Game 3 when the series shifted to Dallas. The former MVP erupted for 34 points and 11 rebounds on 52% shooting from the floor. However, the Mavs would end up losing the game in a nail-biter. They'd bounce back in a big way following this loss, winning the next three games to secure the title.

With no true star running mate, Dirk's title win is still highly praised in history. Aside from the major upset, he's viewed as one of the few stars to deliver a championship with minimal help in terms of high-level teammates.