DeShawn Stevenson on the Big 3 and the 2011 Finals

In an interview for the Locked On Mavericks Podcast, Nick Angstadt talked with DeShawn Stevenson about the Big 3 League, the 2011 Finals, and how his Dirk tastes.

Nick Angstadt: Welcome DeShawn Stevenson, the man, the myth, the legend, on Locked on Mavericks, it is so good to have you DeShawn.

DeShawn Stevenson: Hey, I appreciate it.

Nick: First of all, I have to ask you this, the people want to know, DeShawn, all these years later, how does your Dirk taste?

DeShawn: I always get that question...it’s good man, the Dirk taste good.

[laughs]

Nick: Alight, so you’re playing in the Big 3 right now, you just rolled through Dallas a couple of weeks ago, and now you’re heading into the playoffs. You’re going to face Gary Payton’s team with Rashard Lewis. How do you guys feel heading into the playoffs?

DeShawn: We feel good man, we got a little bad streak losing three games but you know we’ve been a team that’s been hot and winning. We’re playing a team with Rashard Lewis, Gary Payton, it’s gonna be a fun, exciting game.

Nick: Is there more or less trash talk in the Big 3 than you expected?

DeShawn: I think it’s both, I think it goes on the players and the personnel. I really don’t hear it that much but certain people hear a lot of trash talk.

Nick: Well, yeah, I mean you probably intimidate people. They’re like, ‘man, I can’t live up to that.’

DeShawn: [laughs] Yeah, exactly right?

Nick: ‘I can’t trash talk like that guy so why should I even try?’

DeShawn: [laughs]

Nick: But, man, it looks like you’re having a ton of fun out there. Seeing you when you came through Dallas, hitting game winning shots, with Michael Rapaport after the game doing interviews. It seems like a ton of fun. Is it as much fun as it seems?

DeShawn: Man, it’s so much fun. Being back there on the court with NBA players playing in NBA arenas getting the same kind of treatment we got in the NBA it just feels good being in that environment

Nick: Today we’re looking back at the 2011 Finals, I’m sure you have tons of fond memories about that, what is it like to be in the NBA Finals on the biggest stage at home at the AAC in Dallas, and to set up, stop, and pop and hit a transition three in front of the home crowd? What does that feel like?

DeShawn: It feels good man, we played good that series. I played exceptional that series and we brought a trophy home and winning basically in Miami especially with me playing Lebron for so many years and him beating me and winning a championship in Game 6 it was a fun, memorable situation.

Nick: What is it like guarding LeBron James?

DeShawn: It’s hard, he’s a hell of a player, very talented so it’s always tough. But you know with that team and the way my mentality was we just had that team that we wasn’t going to stand for anything.

Nick: You weren’t going to take anything, and if you did you’d probably slap him a little bit.

DeShawn: Exactly

[laughs]

Nick: Your comments about [Lebron & Wade] being ‘really good actors.’ Looking back on their careers and how they’ve progressed since then, it seems like you were right…They’re really good actors in the way that they flop and people even call Lebron LeFlop now.

DeShawn: Yeah, you know in those times when you’re playing against them you have a certain situation where you feel like they do flop but at the end of the day I gotta give credit to both of them. They’re future hall of famers. But they do have, they get a lot of leeway with calls and it’s kind of hard to guard them when they’re getting those calls too.

Nick: Was Dirk just playing on a different level than anyone else in the world at that point?

DeShawn: Yeah, I think he does all the time obviously he’s getting older but for a guy to do the type of numbers that he doing, carrying a team to win a championship. Dirk has always been one of the most phenomenal players to me. He doesn’t dunk like Lebron, but jump shot, constantly ice in his veins no pressure you can’t run into a person like that ever again.

Nick: What would you say to people that say this was the ‘last honest championship?’

DeShawn: I think we had the best team. I feel like there’s not going to be another team running through Dallas. Obviously I want them to have a better team than me because that’s my team and I want them to win so many championships. We had so many different elements, so many different hall of famers; Jason Kidd, Jason Terry. So many role players that actually did their part and to beat a team, a back-to-back NBA Championship team in the Lakers, we swept them. Then come in and everybody was talking about Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and all of them. They were supposed to run through us to win that championship. I just think what happened in that league, we shocked everybody and you won’t be able to top that.

Nick: Did you guys feel like an underdog going into that series?

DeShawn: Not me, I’m never the underdog in whatever I do. You know what everybody say, you listen to the people that get paid to say those things but we always walk in and were very confident and we took care of business.

Nick: Going into that series, you know you have to guard Lebron and Wade, do you prepare differently for that series than you would for another series?

DeShawn: It wasn’t really about that it was more about being int he finals. When you get to the finals people don’t understand. There’s nothing you can do or go over, it’s time just to go out there and play. And in the finals it’s not about Lebron or D-Wade—obviously they’re great players—but actually coming in there and showing up and being ready for something of that caliber that means so much to an NBA team.

Nick: What did Tyson Chandler bring to that team as far as attitude and defensive mentality in that 2011 team?

DeShawn: I think he did the same thing I did, he brought toughness. Between me, him, Shawn Marion, and Jason Kidd we all just had this toughness. Me and Tyson Chandler always had this other type of toughness. And he was this person that was blocking shots, very vocal on defense, talking, getting people’s spirits up, and he wasn’t going to take any shit. All that helped us, having a center like that. Dallas never had a center like that, they had Erik Dampier but they never had a center that was out there and trying to intimidate somebody.

Nick: Do you remember anything about the party after Game 6?

DeShawn: No, not really

[laughs]

Nick: What’s one thing that sticks out to from that week? Something that sticks out to you.

DeShawn: Just getting that shirt. I remember when I was coming back to the hotel and people thought I had it made and actually a fan already had that shirt made. He wanted my actual jersey that I wore in the finals and we switched out and that’s how I ended up getting that shirt. It was just then when people saw that shirt it was over.

Nick: Do you think if you and Tyson and a couple of those guys stayed on the Mavericks you could have repeated?

DeShawn: Easily, we won it too easy. You saw what we did in the playoffs. The worst matchup was the Miami Heat and we still beat them 4-2.

The entire interview can be heard on the Locked On Mavericks - 8/22/17 - 2011 Finals Flashback: Game 1 & DeShawn Stevenson episode. Subscribe to never miss an episode.