Charlotte (Steve Goldberg’s Wheel World) - As the 2015 European Champions Cup kicks off in the Italian coastal town of Giulianova this weekend, it would not surprise me in the least to see David Eng and his shiny dome suited up for Italy's Briantea 84 Cantu, Turkish side Galatasaray or Germany's RSV Lahn Dill. He's the James Brown - long known as the hardest working man in rock & roll - of wheelchair basketball.

Wheelchair Basketball Canada's Male Athlete of the Year has already collected two national club championships medals this season though neither was gold this time around.

Two weeks ago in Louisville, Kentucky, his New York Rolling Knicks fell to the Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks in the USA's National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) Championship Division final and last weekend in Toronto, he was named the MVP of the Canadian Wheelchair Basketball League (CWBL) tournament even as his Gladiateurs de Laval finished second to the Bulldogs de Quebec. And after that, maybe it's on to clubs in South America or Asia/Pacific, whichever comes first. 

But back to North America first where the Mavericks avenged their 2014 loss to Eng and the Knicks. In that game, Eng combined with countryman Pat Anderson for 54 of the Knicks’ 76 points to outscore Dallas' 53 themselves in a 23 point rout. 

The "eh"-Team dominated the NY side of the boxscore in the 2015 final as well with Eng scoring 22 and Anderson 16 of the Knicks' 48 points.

But this was a different Dallas lineup than the one humbled by the Knicks 12 months ago. 

The Mavs' Jay Nelms, a USA national team veteran and current coach of the University of Texas-Arlington women's team, says that the Mavs exchanged size for speed. Not so much by choice but natural evolution.

"Our identity changed from the team that lost to the team that just won. We lost a lot of height but we got a lot faster. We played a different style than we did in the past and it was nice to come back hungry and really want it," he said.

While losing big men Bobby Nickleberry and Chuck Allen, the team added Jorge Sanchez and John McPhail from the UTA men's team. 

"They came in and me and [Danny] Fik went from being the fastest on the team to the slowest in a blink of an eye. Their speed brought tremendous things for us."

Nelms, who scored 28 in the final and averaged 19.5 over four games, was named tourney MVP for the third time (also in 2010, 2011).

The smaller, faster Mavericks play a high pressure, baseline to baseline game designed to wear opponents down. Former University of Arkansas coach Nolan Richardson labeled this brand of uptempo game with intense pressure defense "40 minutes of Hell".

According to Nelms, against the Knicks the added speed and quickness infused a team defense that could focus on Anderson and Eng with multiple coverage options but still be able to react if others stepped up.

It also fueled an offense that could score the ball. The Mavs averaged 79.5 points over their four games while only giving up 47.75.

Dallas went undefeated for the season (22-0) and four of those wins were over the Knicks. Dominant wins. They played three times early in the season with the Mavs taking each game by 21 or more points. At the Milwaukee Bucks tournament in December, Dallas won again 81-57.

Anyone who's ever seen the Mavericks play knows that the team has swagger. One of the most successful clubs in NWBA history, they expect to win and take it personally when they don’t. That description is one of winners though, isn't it? Individuals like Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant. Teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs.

"Every year we come out with the mentality that our job is to win the finals," Nelms said matter-of-factly.

That attitude comes with credentials. This title is the Mavericks' 13th since 1997 and fifth in the last six seasons. Only three times in the past 19 final games of the NWBA's top flight has Dallas not participated.

The Dallas Wheelchair Mavericks won their 13th national title and fifth in the past six years in the 2015 NWBA Championship Division final. Photo by Marvin Young

That's a dynasty on par with the Celtics' run of 11 titles in 13 seasons, FC Barcelona Basquet's 11 in 16, UCLA's 10 in 12, the Chicago Bulls' 6 in 8, but not quite Maccabi Tel Aviv's runs of 22 and 14 consecutive titles out of their 51 in 60 seasons.

North of the border, the Bulldogs de Quebec did what the Rolling Knicks couldn't, doubling up on the CWBL men's title they won last year with a 58-55 win over their provincial rivals, the Gladiateurs de Laval at the Toronto Pan Am Sport Centre.

It was the third championship meeting of the two teams with the Gladiateurs winning in 2013.

Eng, who garnered All-tournament honors in Kentucky, was named the tournament's MVP. Maxime Poulin of the Bulldogs, Adam Lancia of Variety Village, Bo Hedges of the Academy, Rosalie Lalonde of the Gladiateurs, and Abdi Dini of Variety Village were named to the all-star team.

Quebec won all five of their games to extend their undefeated streak to 10 games dating back to 2014. It was the third consecutive time these two teams have met in the final.

"It's a pretty intense rivalry," said Bulldogs ace Maxime Poulin who led all scorers with 26 points in the final. Tied at 55, Poulin scored with less than 10 seconds to play to give the Bulldogs the win.

"We play all year long against each other. We lost to them this year in the provincial final and we won again this year at nationals. The rivalry is there and I think it's always a good match up against the Gladiateurs."

I would have to agree.

Steve Goldberg

FIBA

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

FIBA takes no responsibility and gives no guarantees, warranties or representations, implied or otherwise, for the content or accuracy of the content and opinion expressed in the above article.

To help make this column as inclusive as possible, please send any national or international event information, story suggestions, or comments to wheelworldmail@gmail.com.