I still vividly remember the 2005 playoff series. Houston started off so bright, taking game one with Yao playing poorly. I remember Tmac's dunk on Shawn Bradley and his clutch shot at the end of game 2 to steal another game on the road. I remember thinking to myself, man Tmac is so good in the clutch, Dirk's soft. Next thing you know the Mavs have won the series. I hated them, I hated Mark Cuban, I hate Finley and the out of bounds play, I hated the refs, and I hated Dirk and his ugly mug. In 2006 Dirk carried the Mavs to the NBA finals. I hated him for how good he was and when he choked in game 3 I revealed in his failure. In 2007 Dirk was named MVP, I scoffed. Steve Nash should have been MVP I thought to myself. My belief was confirmed as I watched the Mavs and Dirk crash and burn in the playoffs against the 8th seeded Golden State Warriors. Soft, over-rated I thought to myself The next few years the Mavs feel into relative obscurity. Dirk didn't get many headlines, I still hated them, but I didn't really get a chance to vent my frustrations out expect when they would consistently beat us in the regular season. Then 2011 came. First round, Portland. Everyone was jumping on the bandwagon; the Trail Blazers will upset the Mavericks. I believed this as well. Dirks soft, Kidd's old, and Caron Butler was injured. When the Mavs won in 6, I didn't think too much of it. Next came the Lakers, 2 time defending NBA champions, 2nd best SG of all time in Kobe Bryant. I was faced with a dilemma, I HATED the Lakers, I hated that racist Pau Gasol and that prat Derek Fisher. I was torn, so I just thought to myself lets just enjoy the series and hope for some good basketball, I don't care who wins (although I believed the Lakers would). I laughed when Barkley suggested that Dirk was the best player in the series. Next thing you know, Dallas swept the Lakers and Dirk proved Barkley right. Who was this guy? He's suppose to be washed up, soft and old! Next round the Mavs were playing OKC and one of my favorite players in Kevin Durant. I didn't believe OKC could win, the Mavs were too good I thought. But I still believed they might choke, that Dirk might choke. 5 games later I was proven wrong. I witness one of the greatest shooting displays in game one. The amazing clutchness in games 2, 4 and 5. I tried to dislike Dirk I really did, but I was amazed that I was starting to admire.... LIKE him even. How was this possible? I believe I always hated Dirk because he was good, because he beat the Rockets. Yes he did choke in game 3 vs Miami but I quickly forget that he got them there. His choke just validated my opinions of him so I choose to pay attention to that. After the GS series, Dirk was written off by most of the press and the public. He's become an UNDERDOG story; and I believe that, is why I started to like him. My hate diminished in the past few years for him and that has allowed me to appreciate his play. I admired the heart he showed vs the Lakers. The stone cold shots he made again and again vs OKC(honestly those shots were some of the most difficult shots I have ever seen made). Lets face it, international players always have a hard time earning respect. We've seen it with Yao Ming. Dirks not so different. When the finals came along I was on the Dirk bandwagon. Not the Mavs, I still don't like the Mavs, but I was pulling for Dirk to win a championship, I was pulling for the underdog. I hated Lebron James and the decision and I hate Chris Bosh even more. I live in Canada so we get all the Raptors games and Chris Bosh reminds me of the nerd in the movies is meek and shy and when he finds cool friends just acts like a total douchebag. Anyways... tangent aside, yeah I was pulling for Dirk. I loved how he showed Lebron how to be clutch in game 2, but his performance in game 4 has taken my respect to another level. I didn't know Dirk was sick till after the game, I was actually wondering why he was playing so poorly, of course I cheered when he made the great play at the end(great players always seem to get it done in the end no matter how they played earlier). Seriously though, 101 degree fever? I'm in bed with like a 98 degree fever! It wasn't the courage to play with the fever that I really admired it was how he handled it after. In the press conference he completely downplayed it saying "Just under the weather a bit" as he proceeded to cough nonstop. I couldn't help but contrast it to the Big 3 and how they would have hyped themselves up as some sort of hero So yes I respect Dirk Nowitzki. I admire his humbleness, his heart and courage to stand up to all his doubters, all the bias surrounding foreign players and say a huge **** YOU. Of course Dirk would never say that he's too humble, too mannered. When game 5 rolls along you know who I will be cheering for, not the Mav's not the Heat. I'll be cheering for Dirk
He grudgingly earned my respect in the Thunder series. I still am not a fan but I am never going to call him soft again after what he has done this season.
Agreed. I hated the Mavs in 05, but Dirk is really a class act. His quiet consistency through the years has been pretty remarkable, and he seems to have gained some real toughness through the trials and tribulations of years past. I am impressed with how he has persevered despite the hits he has taken over the past 5 years: -blowing a near 3-0 lead to lose in the finals -losing to the 8 seed Warriors the following year -Winning the MVP award AFTER having blown said series -public and messy break-up with con-artist fiancee And here he is in the finals again. Gotta root for him over the posers on the Heat. Wade is the real deal, but even if the Heat win, it is hard to be impressed with a bunch of talented underachievers teaming up because they are tired of working so hard.
He has had my respect for a while since he cut his pansy flopping all throughout the game to a minimum. He's still Noringski though. Duck Fallas. You can respect his game but it doesn't mean you have to like him or the Mavs.
There really is no other choice. If you suck that badly and choke that badly over those years. How could you possibly not be humble?
This. I'm wondering how many trolls are on our board now. Not referring to the OP specifically but guys like pull_up_3, etc seem to be Dallas trolls.
LeBron James carried a crappy Cleveland team for several years. It is no coincidence that after he left Cleveland went on a 20 something losing streak and is currently the indisputable worst team in the NBA. Dirk got shot down in the '06 finals and has been choking ever since. Dirk being labeled across the league as a soft b****. LeBron is no doubt better than Nowitzki. Even though LeBron has looked like a little b**** throughout this entire series.
They lost Shaq, Delonte, LeBron. 3 starters. They lost their 6 man, Big Z. Their second best player from last year, Mo Williams was injured most of the year. That Cleveland team was NOT LeBron's supporting cast. Some guys but most gone. And record wise, the indisputable worst team in the NBA is the Wolves.
Why even bother? Lebron haters thinks he sucks. Kobe and Dirk haters like myself respect their game but choose to strongly dislike them.
