While the Western Conference had 10 teams comfortably over .500, there were three front-runners heading into the postseason.
The Mavericks weren't one of the three, but they knocked off three of the top four seeds to reach the NBA Finals. It's Dallas' first appearance on the big stage since the organization won the title in 2011.
It's also just the third NBA Finals appearance in franchise history. The Mavericks lost to the Heat in 2006 and beat the Heat in 2011. Both trips featured Dirk Nowitzki at the helm, but the franchise now has a new European superstar running the show.
Luka Doncic has established himself as one of the league's premier players since the Mavericks selected him in the 2018 NBA Draft. He doesn't have a ring or MVP yet, but he's solidified himself as one of the faces of the NBA.
Kyrie Irving, a 13-year NBA veteran, joins Doncic in the backcourt. The two have proven they can play at a high level together. Rounded out with solid role players such as Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, and Daniel Gafford, the Mavericks took down the Timberwolves in the Western Conference Finals.
There was more than just a trip to the NBA Finals up for grabs in the Western Conference Finals, however. The league awarded its annual Magic Johnson Trophy to the series MVP.
The Sporting News reveals who won the award and more below.
MORE: Breaking down the Mavericks' NBA Finals history
Who won the Western Conference Finals MVP?
Doncic won the 2024 Magic Johnson Trophy, which is awarded to the Western Conference Finals MVP. The 25-year-old has consistently been the Mavericks' best player and rightfully earned the award after helping his team dispatch Minnesota.
Luka Dončić received all nine votes from a media panel covering the Western Conference Finals.
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 31, 2024
The voting panel ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/ZHqal4tZJb
Doncic earned all nine votes to win the Western Conference Finals MVP by unanimous decision. Next up, he's set to make his first NBA Finals appearance.
He capped off the Western Conference Finals with a 36-point, 10-rebound performance in Game 5 in Minnesota. He tied Irving with a game-high 36 points in the 124-103 win.
MORE: How Timberwolves fan sparked Luka Doncic's Game 5 explosion
Luka Doncic 2024 Western Conference Finals stats
| Player | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3-PT% | FT% |
| Luka Doncic | 32.4 | 9.6 | 8.2 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 47.3% | 43.4% | 84.6 |
Why is the Western Conference Finals MVP called the Magic Johnson Trophy?
The NBA added a couple of new awards in recent years to honor some of the league's best players in history. Two of those awards became the Western and Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The Western Conference Finals MVP is also known as the Magic Johnson Trophy. It's a nod to Johnson's 13-year NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers in which he made the NBA Finals nine times and won five championships.
The Eastern Conference Finals MVP is named after Larry Bird, who won three championships in five trips with the Boston Celtics. He also played 13 seasons, facing Johnson often in the 1980s. Jaylen Brown is the 2024 Larry Bird Trophy recipient.
Magic Johnson Trophy winners
| Player | Team | Year |
| Stephen Curry | Golden State Warriors | 2022 |
| Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | 2023 |
| Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks | 2024 |
