I started rooting for the Dallas Mavericks when they put up a great fight against the first team I’ve ever root for in the NBA – the Utah Jazz. My favorite player (John Stockton) was on the verge of retirement so I knew it’s very likely that I would be switching teams at some point. I haven’t been big on the idea of rooting for the supposedly best teams. When I was still watching the PBA (Philippine Basketball Assocation, for you you guys from overseas), I was a solid Shell franchise fan. The team never really won a lot of games, but I sure made an effort to be present for games and scream my lungs out to show my support. I root for teams that are slightly above average and are at the cusp of potential greatness.
Much of the Mavericks’ allure was due to their then-up-and-coming German power forward Dirk Nowitzki. To put it simply, I’ve never a seen a player like him and I doubt if I’ll ever see someone who plays exactly like him. He’s a 7-foot giant who could take three pointers. To a casual fan in his teens, that would be a great novelty. To Filipinos, centers with an outside shot are a novelty – only Benjie Paras and Jerry Codiñera were able to effectively add perimeter offense to their arsenal. Dirk also could blow by taller defenders on top of shooting over smaller players. Whether he makes shots or not, his skills set is something to be in awe of. His movements on the court is anything but fluid but his awkwardness is what truly makes it work.
He has serious shortcomings that he has tried to improve on over the years. He has always been criticized for not being tough enough – just like every other non-black player in the NBA. His defense continues to be a liability to his team despite the leaps and bounds that he has made. Nowitzki is the player that strikes me as most human in the NBA. You can literally see him struggle through his limitations despite his physical gifts. The chance of failure is always there.
When he makes the plays, it’s a joy to watch. Dirk can hit impossible shots while falling off balance. The probability of him scoring 40 points in a game is also as real as the chance of him going 2/11 from the field. You never really know what you’re going to get. I dare say, I find him more exciting to watch than LeBron James.
That’s why I root for Dirk.
That’s why I root for the Mavericks.
When greatness happens, I want to be there – and all this punishment will be worth it.
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For me, Dirk is most fun to watch when he loses his temper. Angry Germans are funny.
joyfulchicken: Racist!
I kid. Yeah, I work at a German company and I know precisely what it’s like when Germans go bonkers. Uh, summary, is that don’t try to be incompetent when dealing with them. But they have good sense of humor too.
So, Dallas Mavericks. I was also a fan of Mavericks for many years – the fandom peaked during the series when they had to defeat Suns, Spurs, and finally met with Heats on the finals, only to be shot by the asswipe Stu Jackson. But I really don’t like the direction it took this year. I don’t want Kidd there at all.
By the way, Utah Jazz nearly forced an overtime to the Lakers and, while it’s clear that they’re not a better team than the Lakers, their refusing to give up is very commendable. Too bad nobody’s 3 point attempts went in on the last 10 seconds, as it was already very impressive that they scored 5 points within six seconds.
I want Howard traded, DEMET.