Dwyane Wade had 36 points and 10 rebounds in the teeth of a hostile Dallas crowd, capping his magnificent playoffs by leading Miami past the Mavericks 95-92 on Tuesday as the Heat roared back from a two-game deficit to win their first NBA championship in six games.
Just as Shaquille O'Neal and coach Pat Riley predicted nine years apart, there will be a parade in South Florida.
Wade will lead it.
"It's one of the best feelings, next to my wife and my son, that I've ever had in my life," Wade said. "I'm going to live it up!"
The man they call "Flash" cemented his superstardom with a dominant four-game performance capped by four pressure-packed, final-minute free throws in the same building where Miami lost the first two games of the finals.
Where there's a Wade, there's a will. His grace added a fifth ring to Riley's finger -- third-most among NBA coaches -- and a fourth to O'Neal's big hand.
"The great Pat Riley told us we were going to win today," O'Neal said after celebrating on the court with his family.
Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 15 rebounds for the Mavs, but Dallas couldn't manage the last basket it needed to topple Wade's tenacity.
Miami nursed a narrow lead, taking an 89-85 lead with 2:36 left on two jumpers by James Posey. Jerry Stackhouse cut the lead to a point with a 3-pointer in his first game back from suspension, but after Udonis Haslem and Josh Howard traded jumpers, Wade hit two free throws with 26 seconds left.
Erick Dampier then fumbled a pass on Dallas' next possession, and Wade fought to get the loose ball. He hit two more free throws with 17.7 seconds to play, but after Howard hit a pair, Wade missed two with 10.3 seconds left.
But Jason Terry missed a 3-pointer, and Wade flung the ball skyward as time ran out.
Miami hung on to the clincher in front of more than 20,000 Dallas fans still furious at every NBA official and commissioner David Stern for the Mavs' three losses in Miami last week. Owner Mark Cuban stoked the furor with his antics after Game 5, which resulted in a US$250,000 fine earlier Tuesday.
But while the Mavs worried about every perceived slight, the Heat focused on fulfilling the promises of Riley and O'Neal. The veteran coach promised a championship 11 years ago before his first stint on the Miami bench, while Shaq also guaranteed a trophy when the Los Angeles Lakers traded him to South Beach two summers ago.
"I came to Miami because of this young fella right here," O'Neal said, indicating Wade. "I knew I wanted to make him better."
Cuban stole the finals spotlight earlier in the day, getting fined for his complaints about the officials and general conspiracy theory. All of Dallas caught the Mavs' us-against-the-world vibe: Signs supporting Cuban and suggesting a league conspiracy against the Mavs dotted the stands for Game 6, and fans screamed at Stern in his courtside seat.
But the series actually was controlled by Wade, who ascended to the most elite tier of NBA stars with commanding performances in each of the final four games. He scored 121 points in three victories in Miami before capping it with one more tenacious win.
Riley wiped away tears while hugging his players, and Miami crowded onto the hastily assembled podium with the excitement of a high-school graduation.
Riley, who won his first ring since 1988, claimed he never considered the possibility Miami wouldn't finish with four straight wins.
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