DALLAS |
DALLAS (Reuters) ? Victory Plaza lived up to its name at last on Thursday, as hundreds of thousands of jubilant fans packed downtown streets for a parade in honor of the 2011 NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks.
They waved banners, screamed and danced along the route during the hour-long procession that culminated at the plaza, which is outside the main entrance to American Airlines Center, the team?s downtown Dallas home.
?Guess what? We got one and we?re going to try to get more,? a tearful Mark Cuban, the team?s owner, told the crowd gathered for a post-parade celebration at the Center. ?We love you guys.?
Cuban held the championship trophy aloft for much of the parade, and player Jason Terry confirmed the owner slept with it on the trip home from Miami. Terry himself kept a large cigar in his mouth throughout both the parade and celebration. But it was Dirk Nowitzki the crowd wanted most.
The lanky German forward flashed victory signs and waved along the route to adoring fans who erupted in cheers whether they were watching him on the street or on giant screens in Victory Plaza. Game replays featuring Nowitzski, named the Most Valuable Player of the Championship series, elicited screams.
?It?s been an amazing ride, an amazing journey,? said Nowitzki, now in his 13th season with the Mavericks, during the post-parade celebration for season ticket holders. Before that event, he stood on a balcony and led the crowd in an off-key rendition of what he called his ?new favorite song?: Queen?s ?We Are the Champions.?
Fans and players alike have been waiting for this moment ? the Mavericks? first championship ? for the 31 years the team has existed.
One group of men from the town of Keller near Fort Worth had painted themselves blue and wore nothing but underwear. Frank Perez, also of
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