Nowitzki sings praises

The face of the Dallas Mavericks laughed, sang and even seemed to tear up. For Dirk Nowitzki, the only thing that could come close to being an NBA champion for the first time was celebrating it with the fans in his adopted hometown of Dallas. An estimated crowd of 200,000 crammed downtown Thursday morning for a parade in the team’s honor, with another 20,000 or so filling the arena for a rally filled with emotional moments. After the parade and before the rally, Nowitzki and his teammates went to the balcony of the arena and spoke briefly to the crowd. Nowitzki capped it by leading a rousing rendition of their new favorite song, “We Are The Champions.” “It’s been an amazing ride, an amazing journey,” Nowitzki said. – Associated Press