First of all, let me summarize my Mavericks' fandom. I don't think I've ever claimed to be a so-called "MFFL." Because I'm going to be completely honest - I haven't been a Mavericks' fan my whole life. I haven't even been a Stars fan my whole life.
Because, growing up, I really only cheered for two teams: the Cowboys and Rangers. I cheered for the Cowboys because I grew up in Dallas in the early 1990s - all they did was win. And I cheered for the Rangers because I was a huge baseball fan, and they were my hometown team. The fact that they didn't win was irrelevant to me.
But basketball (and hockey) were irrelevant to me growing up. Hockey was irrelevant because I was living in a town without a team. Hockey was Canadian, and it seemed so foreign to me. I played some NHL '93 for Sega, but my goal was to take the puck and slam into the goalie as fast as possible so it wasn't really me loving the sport.
I watched some basketball in the 1990s, but it was mostly just trying to appreciate the greatness of Michael Jordan. So, basically, I watched games in the playoffs. I wouldn't say I was a Bulls fan because I definitely wasn't. But I didn't really watch the Mavs either. I can really only remember going to one game at Reunion Arena. It was against Dominique Wilkins and the Atlanta Hawks, and I remember the Mavs beating them.
But it wasn't enough. So I have very few memories of the three Js. I have very few memories of much of anything.
Then Cuban bought the Mavs, and I remember him buying a network to show Mavs games (K-Star). I guess the games weren't really on TV before that? That's about how little I know about it.
Well, I kept hearing rumblings that we had this really big white guy from Germany on the team. And, so, almost out of pure curiosity, I tuned in to see him. And while I wasn't all-that impressed (keeping in mind that Jordan barely kept my attention), I started watching a bit more.
I remember watching the Mavs in the 2000-2001 NBA playoffs when they played the Utah Jazz, and I remember them getting the upset win over the Jazz. I remember it being a big deal, but I don't remember much else from that. I didn't really start being a major "fan" until I got to college in 2002-2003. I started to understand the rivalry with San Antonio (and Sacramento in those days).
I started loving "Filthy, Dirty, and Nasty" (Finley, Dirk, and Nash). I followed them more closely, and after the 2002 playoffs, I was hooked. By the Western Conference Finals in 2003, I was locked in.
Even back then, Dirk wasn't my favorite player. I loved Nash...particularly his big 3s and game-closing free throws. I was also a huge fan of Nick Van Exel in those playoff runs.
Dirk was good, but I've never really been a fan of the big guy on any of my teams. I liked Alvin Harper more than I liked Michael Irvin. I liked Michael Young more than A-Rod. And I liked other players along the way more than I liked Mike Modano.
But Nash left. Van Exel left. Finley left. And one day, I was simply left with Dirk as my favorite player. I remember actually being a little scared when Nash left because that meant that someone other than Nash would be taking end-of-game free throws (and Dirk missed every once in a while...Nash never seemed to).
And when all of Dirk's friends were gone, Dirk stepped up. He became the man in Dallas, and I really started to respect him. Even then, though, my loyalties in the mid-90s went to Josh Howard...who played a bit hard-nosed back then that Dirk (who was still flashy).
Time after time, someone else would show up and would become my favorite player. Even this year, I really was a big fan of Tyson Chandler. But, at the end of the day, I can definitively say something:
Dirk is my favorite Mav. And he should've been all along. Because he's not just the best player that the franchise has ever seen: he is the franchise.
Dirk showed up in town not really knowing what to expect. He was a 19-year-old kid who the Nelsons fell in love with . Don Nelson thought he could make a superstar out of this freakish 7-footer who didn't play like any other 7-footer in the world. It was Dirk who captured my attention. It was Dirk who got the Mavs onto the stage. And it was Dirk that kept the Mavericks relevant as all his friends came and went.
In the 2003 Western Conference Finals, the Mavs were heavy underdogs to the eventual-champion Spurs. Dirk went down in that series and never came back. Dirk said he wanted to play. Cuban wanted him to play. But Don Nelson wouldn't let him - he knew there would be later moments.
In the 2006 playoffs, Dirk led the way. His "and-one" against San Antonio in the second round was simply incredible. He took the team on his back and he refused to let them lose. 99.9% of basketball players would've failed in that scenario. Dirk didn't.
And, yes, Dirk was to blame for a lot of the Mavericks' failures. But that's because, his entire career, Dirk was a man on an island. He was an awkward German kid in a faraway land, and I think it took him a long time to really understand what it took to be a winner in the NBA.
Think about Dirk from 2001 and Dirk today. They're completely different players. Dirk, upon his arrival, was a spot-up three pointer with no ability to make his own shot. He wasn't a leader. He didn't know what it took to win. He didn't know how to carry the team on his back.
Dirk today is a warrior. A beast. And, honestly, you get a bit surprised when he takes a 3-pointer because he just doesn't do it that much anymore. He can still drill them as good as anyone in the NBA, but he realized that he can't do that and win.
And that's what I respect so much about Dirk. He puts in the effort, every day, to get better. He joked at today's championship parade that his mentor and coach, Holger, promised him a day off if he beat the Heat in game six. He said that provided all the motivation he needed.
But it's true. Dirk added a lot to his game. He became a phenomenal rebounder. He added a really solid post game. He got to the free throw line with regularity. He toughened up. And he became so very clutch.
All the criticism Dirk received is based on old information. People that say he's soft don't watch him with any regularity. And the reason why Dirk is suddenly getting so much attention and praise is that people are finally seeing him on a night-to-night basis. Because the guy has been this good for a long time.
And that's why I'm so happy for him. The guy, more than anyone in the Metroplex (and I mean that) deserves a championship. No one in this town has worked harder, and no one in this town has had as many hardships. Outside of Cowboys' quarterbacks, no one in this town has had as much criticism, and no one has done more work to limit his flaws and edit his mistakes.
This town loves a winner, but it really respects a hard-worker. Someone who isn't willing to make excuses for himself because he knows he can do better. Work harder. Succeed tomorrow with hard work today.
And that's Dirk. And he knows it too. He ran into the locker room after wins against Oklahoma City and Miami because the emotion of the moment overwhelmed him. Al the hours on the practice court. All the shots in big games that didn't go in. All the losses. All the heartbreak. It had all led to this moment where Dirk could finally stand above the rest. It meant so much to him (just getting there...and then, eventually, doing it).
Kidd needed the win to cement his legacy. Carlisle needed the win to legitimize the work he'd done. Terry needed the win to silence his critics.
But Dirk needed the win to feel good about himself and his career. You could tell that it simply killed Dirk that he couldn't play in the 2003 Western Conference Finals. That he couldn't get it done in 2006. That he had to accept his MVP trophy in 2007 after his team had already been eliminated. And that he never got close after that.
If Dirk had retired with all those things on his conscience, I think he would've had a hard time sleeping for the rest of his life.
But this win changed everything. All those ghosts went away. The nightmare was over. The clouds blew away. And Dirk was allowed to breathe for the first time in years.
Watch him celebrating. He's truly happy. Look at the reaction he has when people chant his name and "MVP." He's truly appreciative. When he says that he loves this town, this city, and these fans, he means it. I believe he really does. Because, at the end of the day, he knows that we were there with him. When we criticized him, he had the same criticisms. When we were mad, he was twice has mad.
And he knew, while he wanted to win more than anyone, we wanted it for him almost as much. We wanted to be champions. We wanted a freakin' championship parade. We wanted the drought to be over and the curse to be squashed.
But we wanted it for Dirk. Cuban wanted it for Dirk. More than himself, Kidd wanted it for Dirk. And, as it turned out, America wanted it for Dirk.
Dirk's going to go out there and be the hard worker he's always been. And he's going to do whatever it takes to get back to this moment. But, at the end of the day, I think Dirk can finally sleep easy. Because he's finally at a place where he's content with his career. He's a champion, and they can never take that away from him.
No comments:
Post a Comment