Wednesday, June 8, 2011

My Underdog Affections

Throughout the NBA Finals, I convinced myself I wanted the Miami Heat to win it all (after they beat out the Sixers of course). I, however, am a minority, along with the city of Miami. A couple of things have led to this decision.
  • I like Lebron James. I don't know what it is about him. It's not like he's ever been described as a likable guy. Lebron James hate tops even that of Bernie Madoff in many places. I just think he carries himself very well and is a very articulate and intelligent speaker. He seems like he really thinks his thoughts through in press conferences. After Miami's win in game 3, a CBS reporter asked Lebron about "shrinking" in big moments of the fourth quarter. Lebron, calmly and intellectually proceeded to tell the reporter that his cohort, Dwayne Wade, had a hot night so they got the ball to him. He also informed him that he had a great night defensively and instructed the reporter to rewatch the game tape and "ask a better question tomorrow". I even find myself cheering for Lebron at press conferences!

  • Another reason I've become an interim Miami fan is because of the legacy i think it could lead to. My uncle is a Chicago Bulls fan. He got to witness his team 3-peat...twice! He is one of those guys who knows Michael Jordan is the best player in history and no player will ever compare. I don't completely disagree (because disagreeing with that fact is punishable by a pair of cement shoes and a dip in the Chicago River). The problem is, I'm jealous of this. I want to see a legacy like this. The closest thing I have seen in any sport would be the Lakers 3-peat and follow up repeat. But the teams of Michael's and Kobe's are far different. Kobe was his team. He had Shaq and Fisher for his first run and then added Gasol, Bynum and Odom for his second. No player can be great without a supporting cast but Kobe was the only common denominator (aside from Phil Jackson) and the only way they got to their title. And in either run, he couldn't compare with the dream team of the Bulls. Some people may say this is an unfair and erroneous argument. I only have one other point. It was Kobe's team. Kobe's legacy. And for whatever reason, I don't like Kobe. I feel like Lebron and D Wade (and even Bosh if he doesn't end up getting traded) have made the Heat great and therefore it will be their legacy. And I will witness it.

  • My final reason is a little simpler than my others. The Heat struggled in the regular season against good teams. They were highly criticized for coming together in such an extravagant manner and getting pummeled in big games. People said they weren't ready and that they would be great but it was going to take some time playing together before they could be actual contenders. They were booed in every major arena they entered. No one wanted them to succeed. They became underdogs. And there is nothing I love more in sports, than a good underdog story.


So in the first round of the NBA Finals, I (somewhat hopelessly) rooted for my 76ers. They made a good run considering their past since AI but thats for a different day. The Heat, for a moment, were the favorites.

Then they met up with the Celtics. All season long they struggled with the Celtics. They were 3-1 in the regular season against them. Espn even ran a segment comparing the two teams. According to them, Boston was the Big 3 first, but they were a Big 3 that had a great deal more experience, a great deal more playing time together, and a great deal more success. Doc Rivers made a comment about the Heat having better players but the Celtics having a better system. The cocky air of it all almost made me sick. I rooted for the Heat and they powered through Boston, leaving Doc Rivers scratching his head.

Finally the Heat met its match. The Chicago Bulls had League MVP Derrick Rose backed by a supercharged defense and a fan base hungry for another Jordan-esque era. The Heat were winless in the regular season against the raging Bulls and everyone pretty much decided this was where the Heat's season ended. They had had a good run. After the rough season they had, competing in the Eastern conference Finals was a great achievement for the newborn Miami Heat. The whole media treated them as if they were children, and every step they made was great, but couldn't be expected to walk all on their own.

Game 1 only cemented this idea. D Rose and the Bulls were destined to be the Eastern Finals and the Heat had a good run. The Heat had three superstars to Chicago's one, but the Chicago defense held the heat while the bench went off.
Then it was Game 2. And 3. And 4. You get the idea. And you know what happened.

The underdog triumphed again, leaving a herd of haters in their wake.

You would think I would be elated. The Heat are well on their way to delivering on their promises of multiple championships in Miami. There was even something to that prediction coming true that gives me chills. Kinda like Babe Ruth calling his center field home run in the 1932 World Series.

Here's where the problem lies. They are now up against the Dallas Mavericks. With Dirk Nowitzki needing a title to solidify his status as on of the greats, Mark Cuban starving for a real reason to celebrate ( and being unusually quiet and sane all finals long, and the vitriol left over from the 2006 NBA finals which had the same match up I'm struggling to decide who the bigger under dog is.

I didn't even begin to think about this until last night in game 4 of the series. With the Heat up 2-1, I decided to give the Mavs my cheers ( a decision I'm sure they were very appreciative of). The Heat were playing very lock down defense and the Mavs were fighting a big fight. I didn't mind rooting for the Mavs because it seemed that the Heat had this one locked up.

Then we got to the 4th quarter and it seemed like no one could make a shot on either side of the ball. It became evident that Lebron was stepping back again to let the rest of the team be in the spotlight. The only problem was, no one else wanted to step up either. No one on the Heat at least. Dirk took a hard layup in the paint to take the mavs up by one point and another to make it a three point game. A missed free throw and a fumbled last possession by D Wade put the game in the book evening the series to 2-2. And as the Heat lost, I felt my loyalties shift again.
Point is, I don't know who I want to win anymore. Both teams need a ring, plain and simple. Dirk is surrounded by an older supporting cast who probably won't be in Dallas much longer even if they continue to be a successful force in the sport at all. So Dallas needs to win this year.

On the other hand, Lebron has built a great deal of things in Miami. He built a strong fan base in the historically luke warm fan city of Miami. He built the team itself back to its championship status. And most of all, he built up expectations, both for himself and the nation. How ironic that this is the same team that was good but just not ready to compete. The Heat have youth on their sides. I don't think Lebron or Wade are in the prime of their career yet and they have plenty of time to be together. With their new found talent for playing together, I think next season is going to be amazing to watch.

But the Heat, like any sports team, are very prideful. They have all of this expectation on them that they set for themselves. I think if they lose this year, though they have the talent to dominate for years after this, it will hurt them bad enough that it could severely effect their future chances. They got this far and want something to show for it. So Miami needs to win this year.

Hm. Well that certainly makes for an exciting series. And it's already lived up to that in only 4 games. I guess what I need to do is just enjoy the series and not worry about who wins. And now that the series is tied up, there is no real under dog...so at least that will make it a little easier for me.

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