Monday, June 13, 2011

Thoughts on Dirk and LeBron

I wouldn't say I was a big LeBron James fan when he played for Cleveland, but I was trending that way. The man is a freak of nature, a truly awesome combination of size, speed, and strength. As a basketball fan, it's impossible not to admire his game. Cleveland sports fans haven't had much to cheer about through the years, and I would have been happy to see LeBron and the Cavs bring a championship to the city.

As a fan of a small market sports team, I was irked by the way Lebron left Cleveland. Then LeBron, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh had their little dance party before the season, talking about 5, 6, 7 championships, like the first one was a mere formality. It was just too much. For the sake of all that is good in sports, LeBron and the Big Three had to be denied.

Nobody expected the Dallas Mavericks to be the team to deny LeBron and the Heat. I'm no Mavs fan, but I badly wanted them to win. I cheered for Dirk and the Mavs with a surprising intensity. Dirk is the anti-LeBron. He could have bailed on his teammates the way LeBron did, joined a team with a better chance of winning. Instead, he stayed with a team that supported him and put in the work needed to become a champion. Who knows, LeBron may wind up winning more titles than Dirk. If I had to bet, I'd say he will. No matter how many titles LeBron wins, his success will pale in comparison to what Dirk accomplished this year.

4 comments:

  1. I agree with you. I cheered for Dallas to win as well.

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  2. Being a Minnesotan, I've always been a fan of Bud Grant. I love his quote, "When you get to the endzone, act like you've been there before." It speaks to class and respect, things LeBron should have been showing as he left Cleveland and joined his new team. Dude burned his bridges but good; never a good idea.

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  3. i@m not a baseball fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I understand your sentiments. Sounds like LeBron et al were getting cocky. Who likes complacency and arrogance? Nicht mich.

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  4. What are we talking about here?

    Also, you've been tagged. :)

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