Winning the Larry O'Brien Trophy is the ultimate goal for any team and player that comes into the NBA. For those who get the chance to climb to the top of the best basketball league in the world, it is a surreal feeling. And for those who never get that opportunity, there will probably always be some regret about not experiencing it.
The road to lifting the silverware is not an easy task. It begins with a grueling regular season, followed by an even tougher playoff run against the league's best teams. But once you finally reach the mountaintop, the rewards are plenty, both in terms of basketball glory and immortality, as well as financially.
Former Dallas Mavericks guard Jason Terry experienced that reality firsthand. He still vividly remembers the aftermath of Dallas' legendary 2011 title run and, more specifically, how he treated himself to a brand-new car after cashing his hefty championship check.
"That championship check. I go in Bank of America, I cashed mine out, but it took 10 days to get it. It was a quarter million," Terry opened up in his interview on the "Knuckleheads" podcast. "250. Walked into the Bentley dealership with a Cuban cigar in my robe and the hat still on. It was a championship robe, it got the Finals logo on the front and the Mavericks logo on the back."
To better understand the feeling Terry and the rest of the Mavericks players were going through, we have to go back in time. Dirk Nowitzki was the absolute alpha and omega of that Dallas team that finished third in the stacked Western Conference. The Mavs were good, no doubt about it, but the way they reached the title and ultimately won it all is still one for the history books.
During their postseason run, Nowitzki and the Texas squad went through superstars and future Hall of Famers left and right. First came the Portland Trail Blazers , then the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers , followed by the young and up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder , featuring the likes of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant . But the real deal was still waiting.
In the Finals, they faced their ultimate nemesis. The Miami Heat , led by their notorious and recently formed Big Three of LeBron James , Dwyane Wade , and Chris Bosh .
The Mavs came back from a 2-1 deficit to win the series in six games. They outplayed the Heatles when it mattered most, and Terry was a huge part of that, averaging 18.0 points per game while hitting clutch shots left and right.
With that kind of performance, there was only one option for "The Jet," treat himself. And treat himself he did.
Terry didn't hold back, opening up his wallet for a new Bentley. For him, it was a sign that he had finally made it.
"I walked into the Bentley dealership, handed them $250,000 in cash and walked out with the black on black Bentley GT Continental. Man, I don't know why I did that. That wasn't the move… Cashed out, right on the spot," JT admitted.
Even though, looking back, spending that kind of money at once might have been going overboard, nobody can say Terry didn't earn every cent of that championship check. He was a key piece of that Mavericks squad, and the 2011 Finals brought him his first and only NBA ring.
And judging by how he celebrated it, Terry made sure that the incredible achievement of going up against all odds came with a "little" souvenir he would never forget. Literally. Not even 15 years later.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
