For every great comic book hero, their feats and their conquering of evil can only be truly complete when they overcome the super-villain. For Dirk Nowitzki these past couple of weeks, he's had to to overcome three.
For those who don't follow the NBA or those who have lived without ways of media for the past 9 months, the Miami Heat this past off-season assembled arguably the most dynamic and polarising lineup to grace a basketball court. Their acquisitions of LeBron James (regarded as the best player to play the game since Michael Jordan) and Chris Bosh (a silky smooth 7 footer) to come to Florida and play alongside stalwart Dwayne Wade.
The shockwaves that rippled through the NBA were totally unique, and interest in the upcoming season increased rapidly when they had a championship style party to INTRODUCE them. (see above). The summer of the "LeBron sweepstakes" being two years in waiting, with teams pitching their plans and ideas to the man dubbed "King". A player who was tipped for greatness in his mid-teens, named "The chosen one", "The Phenom". Heck, there's a film about his high school team.So seven years after being picked first in the draft by his hometown team the Cleveland Cavaliers, turning htem into a perennial championship contender, how did he decided to leave.
Oh, that'd be right, a one hour tv special where nobody (not even the Cavaliers) knew what team he would announce he'd play for in the upcoming season.
As soon as "i'mma take my talents to south beach" was uttered, LeBron went from public darling to being castigated from all onlookers, a fall from grace quicker than Ron Burgundy in "Anchorman". To go from the comic book hero, trying to take league domination from Kobe Bryant (our original villain), he becomes a bigger, and more narcissistic villain it seemed than anyone had thought possible.
All this follwed by unrelented media coverage, every talk show, every sports bulletin, every newspaper column, a grinnign LeBron James. Be it bumping his coach, lack of chemistry on the court, or a Florida based journalist insisting that he be forgiven and we appreciate his talents.
Fast forward to the playoffs, and Miami looking in imperious form, chemistry issues aside, the team had to endure a battle with the plucky Philladelphia 76ers before turning on the style against the Boston Celtics (although if Rondo didn;t get hurt, i think we take that series to 7 games...at least). The team, led by Dwayne Wade's offence and LeBron's stellar defence on MVP Derrick Rose (who is fast becoming our future comic book hero, yet failed on this occasion) saw the Heat convincingly book their place in the NBA finals.
On the other side of the coin, a 7 foot German maverick named Dirk had decided he was going to take on all-comers, playing a level of basketball superseeding anything seen in this year's playoffs. After Dallas struggled past Portland, they swept the defending champion Lakers, before putting the young, energetic Oklahoma City to the sword.
A classic irresistable force up against the immovable object. Something had to give.
With Dirk being the last great superhero left to defeat the evil, his quest began in vain as evil took game 1, then held what looked like a n unassailable lead, before Nowitzki and his men fought back and stunned south beach with a historic comeback leavign Heat coach Erik Spoelstra with his evil scientist grin, which i've seen far too often during these playoffs.
As the series headed to Texas for 3 games, it became apparent that despite the best efforts of America's biggest bandwagoner Colin Cowherd, people hadn't forgiven LeBron James...in fact i would say their distain for him had only been excacerbated by success. With the Heat taking game 3, Dirk took the court with a 102 fever, realising this realistically would be his last chance for a title (and Jason Kidd's last) and playing a game reminiscent of what's known as Jordan;s "flu game" where he played through the influenza barrier.
After Dallas won game 5, and look poised to take the series, an uncomfortable scene was caught on camera of Wade and James mocking Nowitzki sneezing then giggling like the cowardly school bullies in the lunch room with the belief that nobody was as "cool" as them. Nowtizki branded them "immature", probably the perfect word to describe them off the court, and some of their highlight reel maneuvers on it.
Like all great comic books, evil was defeated as the Mavericks won game 6 in convincing fashion, but rather than celebrate evil's fall, i found myself pleased and relieved for our superhero, and the desperate veteran (Kidd) and the down-to-earth owner (Mark Cuban). With heartfelt moments in the aftermath, seeing Wade shake Maverick hands, seeing LeBron shake Kidd's than vanishing down the tunnel (one more than he shook after the Celtics bounced the Cavs last year). We saw Nowitzki shooting coach from Germany teared up in the crowd, we saw Cuban let the Mavericks maiden owner lift the Larry O'Brien trophy.
And last, but no means least, we saw Celtics legend Bill Russell, no reason that's heartfelt, but just a "brucie bonus for me".
The moral of the story being good triumphs over evil, revenge is sweet (Miami beat Dallas in the 2006 finals)...but like most great comic books, they'll undoubtedly be a sequel, probably with new good guys, but I think these villains will win not 1.. not 2...etc.
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