Open Thank You Note to the Heat & Mavs

Thank you JJ Barea for showing us that vertically challenged is not always a detriment. When I was around 11 or 12 I remember going to the doctor and being told that I was going through puberty too fast and that I was going to be no taller than Danny Devito. I went home and cried, my dreams of being a professional basketball player died that day…because I gave up on them. JJ Barea has proved that height is not always a deciding factor in the game of basketball. Listed at a ridiculously generous 6 foot tall (he is no taller than 5-9), Barea controlled numerous games throughout the playoffs and somehow rarely got his shot sent to the 15th row. I don’t know how he did it, but he is an inspiration for all us Lilliputians out there.


Thank you to Jason Kidd for proving Aaliyah was right when she said “Age Ain’t Nothing But a Number.” At the ripe old age of 38 (senior citizen status in the NBA), Kidd turned back the clock and delivered a performance that showed us that he truly is one of the greats to ever play this game. I have to admit that I stopped liking Kidd when he was found guilty of domestic abuse (that shit don’t fly with me). Those charges were later expunged and both he and his now ex-wife took out restraining orders on each other. I don’t know what to think on that front so I will just applaud his accomplishments on the court and try to separate the two situations. This championship only cements his place in history as one of the greatest point guards to EVER play the game of basketball. It is only fitting it is on the team that originally drafted him.

Thank you to Jason Terry for talking shit after game 3 and actually backing it up with a great performance in the remainder of the series. Thank you to Shawn Marion for humbling yourself, and your game, after years of being on the brink of stardom. His role on this championship team will not always show up on the box score, but it is invaluable nonetheless. While we are there, thank you to Tyson Chandler. Well, this thank you is on behalf of Mark Cuban and Dirk Nowitzki. People may not realize it, but I am convinced it is your presence and energy that changed the attitude in Dallas from talented underachievers to champions.

A special thank you to Brian Cardinal. Although you spell your first name incorrectly, I have to give you a shout out for never giving up.
Never giving up on the limited hair you still possess, you are an inspiration to us future cue balls.


Thank you to Dirk Nowitzki for showing us that a slovenly, unshaven, depressing looking German (I can say that because I share the same characteristics) can become world champion. No, on a serious note, thank you for reminding us about second chances. In 2006 Dirk’s Mavs blew the NBA Finals to Wade’s Heat team after taking a 2-0 series lead. For the next five years people bashed Dirk as a softie as his team would routinely be eliminated in the playoffs by inferior teams. How did he respond? He worked his butt off until he was the greatest shooter this side of Larry Bird (and I must admit maybe THAT side of Larry Bird as well). He also improved his strength and somehow did mental pushups until his mindset was at a championship level. I fell into the media stereotype that you were soft. I apologize yet I thank you because I loved to watch every shot you took kiss the net as gently as one would kiss a newborn baby. All while proving me and many others, wrong. You were simply amazing.

On to my Heat thank you’s…

Thank you to Mario Chalmers for reminding us that you can be an effective point guard that does not perform the typical point guard duties. The last few years the NBA has become flooded with superstar talent at the point guard position. From Chris Paul and Deron Williams, to league MVP Derek Rose, to phenom John Wall; the point guard position has enjoyed a large boon.

However, the last two championships were won by the Los Angeles Lakers who employ Derek Fisher who rarely brought the ball up and rarely initiated the offense. Outside of the Big 3, Mario Chalmers had the biggest impact on the NBA Finals for the Miami Heat. He is cut from the Fisher mold and shows that being a true point guard means being inherently unselfish. Sometimes you can help your team more by not putting up gaudy assist numbers, but by playing solid defense, hitting open jumpers, and performing “all other duties assigned.”

Thank you to Dwayne Wade for being one of the five best players in the world and still trying harder than everyone else on the court. There were times when it seemed like it was the Mavs vs Wade. Your teammates seemed aloof, like they weren’t really sure what was going on. Not you though…man you balled. Your game six shooting performance left something to be desired but it definitely was not lack of effort. You busted your ass as much as you possibly could and left it all on the court. You have nothing to be ashamed of as a result of this loss and I know that you know that because you stayed on the court and congratulated every last victor like a proud man should. When it comes to the Mount Rushmore of current players with killer instinct you took your place with Kobe, Dirk and KG. You should be proud.

Thank you to Chris Bosh for quietly being the most CONSISTENT of the Big Three in the finals. You were never the best, but you gave what you gave pretty much every game. They could count on you to do what you have pretty much done your entire career. You get a lot of flak for not being on the Lebron and Wade level but then again, who is? You did your thing and people need to start noticing.

Thank you to Lebron James for not totally understanding the game of basketball quite yet and leaving us something to look forward to. Your shortcomings have delayed your inevitable dynasty over the league. I am not at all going to sit here and bash Lebron in the way that has become so commonplace in all media outlets. I am simply going admire the greatness that he already possesses and let him know what he can improve upon. Never before has the NBA seen such a combination of size, speed, and skill. His physical attributes had to have been created in a laboratory, it’s just not normal. However, his mental game has not caught up with the physical yet. Watch Lebron play, watch him without the ball. When he passes the ball away he stands around like those guys that protect Buckingham Palace, motionless. He is bigger than everyone that guards him yet does not seem to understand that a post game could drastically improve his effectiveness. If he were to improve in these two areas this team would be completely unstoppable. Don’t listen to the critics. They only criticize you because you are great already, use it as fuel to get even better.

This finals series is literally my favorite Lakerless finals in my entire life. I was captivated game-to-game. I looked forward to every game like I had an emotional investment…but I didn’t.

I didn’t really care who won, but I was rooting for the Mavs just so I could have the mindset of the following tweet after they won: “The Lakers lost to the Mavs so technically we are tied for 2nd with the Heat, Thunder & Trailblazers. Kanye voice: U can't tell me nothin'.” It’s easy to be intrigued when your team is in it. In baseball I don’t really watch the World Series when the Yankees are not involved. In football I only watch the Superbowl when the Steelers aren’t in it because it is always surrounded by parties and booze. Basketball has been different, it has always been my favorite sport. However, after the Shaqobe (Bill Simmons trademark) Lakers broke up I never watched a Lakerless finals. I just didn’t care, much the way I feel about baseball. This year was different. The Heat and the Mavs reminded me why I love the game of basketball. You rekindled the lost love like a Sam Cooke song could rekindle a romance. And for that, I thank you Heat and Mavs.

P.S. Thank you to the Refs for not ruining the NBA Finals by overreacting to the skirmish that happened in game six. You used discretion and realized that nobody got hurt and whatever crimes that happened were victimless crimes so there should be no punishment. Now if Cops could sometimes use the same discretion we could be on our way to something.