Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:27 pm Post subject: According to article, Dirk running off court to the locker room after win was "classless"
Quote:
Even before it was officially over, even before the last buzzer sounded on one of the great NBA Finals ever, the biggest winner of the series ran away. Dirk Nowitzki played taller than a King and a T-Mobile spokesperson (which may be a status greater than royalty in sports today) in this series.
He squashed any of those doubts about his softness — or the ridiculous notion about European players in general being soft which still persists in certain NBA circles. He established himself as a great closer with a playoff run for the ages, the kind of run that you're supposed to be able to sustain in a six-game march to an NCAA Championship maybe, but not in a 21-game, four-series slog to a pro title.
But Nowitzki also left the stage without shaking the hands of his vanquished, hurting foes. He didn't stick around to give LeBron James or Dwyane Wade any love at the final buzzer. Instead, Nowitzki jumped over the scorer's table with four seconds left and the Mavs dribbling out the clock. He went straight to the locker room even as his Dallas Mavericks teammates — Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Shawn Marion especially — lingered to celebrate on the court and to hug LeBron, Wade and the rest of the Miami Heat too.
You can argue that Nowitzki was simply overcome with emotion on finally winning the title that fumbled out of his grasp in 2006, that he felt he just needed to get away. Or maybe, you believe that LeBron and D-Wade didn't deserve Nowitzki's respect after they poked fun at his Game 4 sick win with that comedy cough routine.
But, the truth is Nowitzki should have stayed. Even ABC play-by-play man Mike Breen seemed shocked to see Nowitzki sprinting right for the locker room. No matter what he really thinks of LeBron and Wade, no matter how overwhelming the moment felt for him after Dallas' 105-95 Game 6 clincher, he needed to be on that court.
Leaving showed poor sportsmanship at best. It rang of a little classlessness, which is all the more shocking considering it came from Nowitzki.
Can you imagine if James or Wade pulled something similar? That'd be getting crucified. But because it's Nowitzki and he comes across as a humble superstar, he'll get a complete pass. Sorry, it shouldn't work that way. Nowitzki should have to be just as accountable as LeBron or Wade.
Remember how LeBron was ripped from coast to coast when he walked off the court without shaking the hands of the Orlando Magic players after his Cavs were upset in the 2009 Eastern Conference Finals? How is Nowitzki's excuse Sunday night any different than LeBron's that night? It's OK to be overcome by winning but not losing?
Is the message you're allowed to be a poor winner but not a poor loser?
By all accounts, the Miami Heat — who've been branded as the villains of sports world, largely because they wanted to make their own decision on where to play basketball — displayed great grace in defeat. Kidd raved about how Wade, LeBron and Chris Bosh all sought him out after this crushing loss for Heat. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle went out of his way to mention how Heat president Pat Riley came into the visitors locker room to congratulate the new champs.
"He showed unbelievable class," Carlisle said in a press conference broadcast on TV.
"All three of them," Kidd said of LeBron, Wade and Bosh, the only three players anyone ever talks about on Miami, "said that if any of us are going to win it but them, they wanted it to me."
There were classy touches all around on this night, the night that Dallas joined Houston and San Antonio as Texas NBA title winners. Even from Mark Cuban, the owner who shut up to help his team win and still refuses to boast now that it finally has (with the exception of saying "(bleep)" on national TV). For there was Cuban, who deserves more credit for sticking up to the often-arrogant NBA commissioner David Stern over the years than he's received, bringing up the original owner of Mavericks Don Carter to receive the championship trophy first.
Wade was great as usual in his post-game press conference, once again showing he gets it. He knows when you need to just recognize the team that beat and befuddled you over six games.
"The word choke is overused in sports period," Wade said, disarming another borderline ridiculous question directed at the most overanalyzed team in recent sports history. "We lost a ballgame. We lost the Finals. We lost to a team that was better than us. Give them all the credit."
LeBron veered toward self indulgence when he answered a question about his critics by basically saying that those people would still wake up to crappy lives in the morning while he continued to live his fantastic superstar one. But despite that fumble, even LeBron largely followed D-Wade's admirable lead.
"Much respect to them," LeBron said of Mavs.
Strangely, almost inexplicably, only Nowitzki flipped the mutual respect script. Only Dirk ran away without acknowledging his opponent.
"I had to get a moment," he later told ESPN's Hannah Storm of his decision to flee. "I was crying a bit. I was a little emotional. I actually didn't want to come out for the trophy (presentation), but the guys talked me into it."
An understandable, relatable reaction? Sure. But then again, so is LeBron storming off the court after that devastating loss to Orlando. There are a lot of grown ups who aren't professional athletes who cannot handle losing games of much less significance.
Bottom line: Nowitzki needed to stay. He needed to slap hands with LeBron and Wade, to recognize their fight.
It doesn't make what he accomplished any less impressive. (The Mavericks went 16-5 in these playoffs, never once faced an elimination game on the way to a title that no in their own city even thought they could win at playoff's start.) It doesn't make the championship hollow.
But we should expect more class from Nowitzki in triumph. More importantly, he should demand more from himself.
Joined: 06 Mar 2008 Posts: 8125 Location: Born and Raised in Los Angeles, now living in Manhattan, NY.
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:31 pm Post subject:
He was overcome with emotions, as the article states. I think in that situation, one doesn't really think. Saying it was classless is going too far. The media just makes a mountain out of every molehill.
Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 15000 Location: Retired Moniker
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:43 pm Post subject:
I don't blame the guy for needing a moment with tears streaming down his face... it should be given to him after all of the torment he's carried for 5 years. Could he have come back out to join in and shake hands with opponents? That might be a good idea, but watching the Lakers' last two championships it's usually chaotic after the game so some of the handshakes and hugs are going to be a bit sporadic at best.
I think this fool is just ticked because his team will be in the lottery for years to come. Stuck with a bust at center and a flailing, flopping shooting guard, hah - good luck Rockettes. _________________ "I got a hand that'll rock ya cradle, cream ya like cheese, spread ya on my bagel." - Shaq, 1992.
I don't blame the guy for needing a moment with tears streaming down his face... it should be given to him after all of the torment he's carried for 5 years. Could he have come back out to join in and shake hands with opponents? That might be a good idea, but watching the Lakers' last two championships it's usually chaotic after the game so some of the handshakes and hugs are going to be a bit sporadic at best.
Dirk said he really didn't want to come out for the trophy presentation either but Kidd and Terry (among others) convinced him to.
I seriously doubt Wade and/or James was on Dirk's mind at that particular moment. _________________ The killer in me is the killer in you!
Why would he want to shake Lebron or Wade's hand after they mock him for his illness (a real classless act)? _________________ 2008-2009 NBA CHAMPIONS ------Your LOS ANGELES LAKERS!!
2009-2010 NBA CHAMPIONS ------Your LOS ANGELES LAKERS!!
Joined: 10 Jun 2009 Posts: 15000 Location: Retired Moniker
Posted: Sun Jun 12, 2011 10:50 pm Post subject:
TobiasBeecher wrote:
RealOne wrote:
I don't blame the guy for needing a moment with tears streaming down his face... it should be given to him after all of the torment he's carried for 5 years. Could he have come back out to join in and shake hands with opponents? That might be a good idea, but watching the Lakers' last two championships it's usually chaotic after the game so some of the handshakes and hugs are going to be a bit sporadic at best.
Dirk said he really didn't want to come out for the trophy presentation either but Kidd and Terry (among others) convinced him to.
I seriously doubt Wade and/or James was on Dirk's mind at that particular moment.
Agree, Dirk must've been an emotional wreck in there and the last thing he would ever think about would be the feelings of *cough**cough* Wade/James.
What a bunch of BS basically being spewed to justify LeBron's poor sportsmanship tactics back when he ran off the court against Orlando. Fact is, Dirk just won his first title, after years of being called a choke, being backdoor swept by the Heat and the gimmies from the refs in 06, losing in the first round in 07 after winning the MVP with the league's best record, year after year being touted as somewhat clutch, but not good enough to win the big one. Well, he was likely flooded with emotions and just wanted to run to the back and scream in excitement, can't blame the guy. It's different when you're in the mode of excitement with the butterflies running through your stomach, wanting to enjoy the moment, not thinking straight in the sense that you're in a euphoric state, as opposed to being a sore loser and running off the court like a pansy who just wet their pants needed to change their diapers before anyone notices. _________________ In regards to the Lakers plane nearly crashing -
"Pilot overheard Phil telling Shaw that he's thinking about starting Luke... lost control, regrouped, no biggie." XD
who cares about Lebron and Wade, really? lol _________________ "Now, if life is coffee, then the jobs, money & position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold & contain life, but the quality of life doesn't change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it."
It was silly to blame Lebron in 09 for walking off the court and silly to blame Dirk for this. It's an emotional game, on both sides and people deal with it differently.
Joined: 08 May 2001 Posts: 588 Location: albert rodriguez
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:11 am Post subject:
That was stupid of Dirk running out like that. As the team leader your supposed to be celebrating with your teammates and embracing them. Ive never seen that ever after an nba team wins the title , the star leaves 4 seconds before the game is over, that was strange , kinda killed the moment when the clock wound down.
Joined: 08 May 2001 Posts: 588 Location: albert rodriguez
Posted: Mon Jun 13, 2011 2:12 am Post subject:
That was stupid of Dirk running out like that. As the team leader your supposed to be celebrating with your teammates and embracing them. Ive never seen that ever after an nba team wins the title , the star leaves 4 seconds before the game is over, that was strange , kinda killed the moment when the clock wound down.
That was stupid of Dirk running out like that. As the team leader your supposed to be celebrating with your teammates and embracing them. Ive never seen that ever after an nba team wins the title , the star leaves 4 seconds before the game is over, that was strange , kinda killed the moment when the clock wound down.
It's also stupid to judge the reaction of a man who just reached the pinnacle of his career after the 2006's Finals meltdown, after nearly being up 3-0, after losing to the Warriors in 2007 as the first 1 seed to lose to an 8 in a 7-game series, after being called "soft," "weak," "choke artist."
And he handled it all with class. Complaining about the fact that the guy needed a minute or two to himself to absorb it all....that's stupid.
I remember Dirk doing the exact same thing after winning the WCF...he left the lady who was trying to interview him hanging on the podium. I think he is an emotional guy and needs to get away when he is overwhelmed, completely understandable after winning his FIRST ring in 13 years. Lebum, D-whistle and Bosh Spice don't deserve to touch his hand anyway...they are so beneath him...in terms of maturity, class and now, championships.
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