2006 nba finals

ESPN is reporting Chris Bosh has decided to join the Miami Heat and play alongside Dwyane Wade, citing a "person with knowledge of the situation." Henry Thomas, the agent for both Bosh and Wade, did not return calls or e-mails early Wednesday from The Associated Press.

Calls to Wade and two representatives for the 2006 NBA finals MVP also were not returned.

On one hand the Dallas Mavericks are a team that has somehow managed to stay relevant in a tough NBA Western Division.

On another they are a team that has never recovered from an historic collapse in the 2006 NBA finals. While they seem to be a great team on paper, their Western Conference opponents seem to take them less and less seriously.

With that in mind the Mavericks made a few changes of the off season.

The Dallas Mavericks fired coach Avery Johnson on Wednesday, the first of what's likely to be many offseason moves after the league's highest payroll produced a second straight first-round knockout from the playoffs.

Johnson leaves with an impressive resume after three-plus seasons, but Mavs owner Mark Cuban couldn't tolerate a bottom line of being 3-12 in the playoffs since blowing a 2-0 lead in the 2006 NBA finals.