2011 NBA Finals begin tonight-can the ‘Heatles’ be stopped?

The NBA Finals gets underway this evening—two big city teams square off in what should be the most watched finals in quite some time.

The series pits big names vs. big names. Dallas is led by owner Mark Cuban feature Dirk Nowitzki, long-time point guard Jason Kidd, and Shawn Marion. Miami obviously pits “the Heatles,” or “the Big Three.”

Everything tips off tonight at 9 pm EST on ABC and it is bound to be exciting. I don’t like the 2-3-2 format, beginning and ending in Miami but allow Dallas to have three home games in a row.

These two met in the NBA finals in 2006, with Miami topping the Mavs in six games. Miami lost the first two games in Dallas, but then became just the third team to ever win a championship after going down 0-2 in the series.

LeBron has truly proved his worthiness this postseason. A lot was made of his grueling 1-19 record in regular-season games where they took the last shot. James was no longer known as clutch or as a finisher—but that sure has changed over the last few weeks.

I love the passion that Dwyane Wade and LeBron are playing with night in and night out. The two best friends decided to join forces this season and it had worked out better than most predicted. I for one, thought they were bound to be successful—only after a year or two. It takes time to gel, to get on the same page, and find the perfect mix between the superstars.

This matchup is very challenging to predict. Dallas boasts two strong point guards with Jason Kidd and JJ Barea and Dirk down low. Miami has Wade, James, and Bosh. Who is guarding Wade, who is guarding James and who is guarding Bosh? Better yet, who will stop Nowitzki?

Jason Kidd is searching for his first NBA title, after making back-to-back finals appearances with the NJ Nets. Nowitzki needs a title to solidify is legacy and add credibility to his game. I would like to see Rick Carlise, the former Indiana Pacers coach, finally win his first title.

But ultimately, the Heat and Pat Riley want to prove their offseason move a success.

I think Miami is too strong and will win the series in six. If Bosh plays out of his mind like he did in the Eastern Conference Finals, I can’t see James, Wade and Bosh being stopped.

Either way, American Airlines is the real winner, having their name on both arenas. Miami plays at American Airlines Arena, and the Mavs arena is the American Airlines Center.