DALLAS -- Guard Jason Terry was so confident the Dallas Mavericks would reach the NBA Finals this season, he had it printed.

In ink. On his body. Before the start of the 2010-11 regular season.

On Oct. 19, 2010 -- a day before a preseason game against the Orlando Magic -- guard DeShawn Stevenson had a get-together for his Mavericks teammates at his house.

Jason Terry got a tattoo of the NBA Finals trophy prior to the start of the season. "When he first got the tattoo, I said he was crazy," teammate DeShawn Stevenson said. Noah Graham/NBAE/Getty Images

Stevenson, who has an offseason home in Orlando, brought his chef and his personal tattoo artist for the players. It was a team-building exercise.

Stevenson's chest, neck and arms are covered with tattoos. He even has a few facial tattoos and two piercings in his chest. But despite all of his tattoos, what he saw teammate Jason Terry do was mind-boggling at the time.

Terry got one placed on his right biceps of the Larry O'Brien Trophy, given to the winner of the NBA championship.

"When he first got the tattoo, I said he was crazy," Stevenson said of the tattoo that is on the inside of Terry's arm. "I didn't say it to him. But I've never been to the [NBA Finals], and for him to have that now. Wow. And he got that tattoo in October, and it means a lot with what we've been through."

The tattoo story came up Wednesday night following the Mavericks' 100-96 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder that clinched the Western Conference finals 4-1.

Dallas is headed to its second NBA Finals appearance in franchise history.