DFW digs Dirk…and so does MSF

In today’s edition of Today’s Best, I included a video that highlights just how unstoppable the step-back jumper of Dirk Nowitzki is. Seeing that video reignited my desire to write a post about Nowitzki, who I think is far and away the most underappreciated basketball player of my lifetime.

It’s not just that Dirk is supremely talented and an indomitable scoring force, it’s that his talents combined with his size and style are so wondrously unique. Sure, an easy comparison can be made to Larry Bird because both guys are white, shoot ridiculously well, and have floppy blonde hair, but such a comparison is terribly lazy and incomplete.

Unfortunately, I don’t have time this afternoon to write the full Dirk Nowitzki Appreciation Post that I’m planning, but it’ll come at some point soon, especially if the Mavericks continue their run in this year’s playoffs. So you’ll have to wait for that, but you won’t have to wait for a worthy ode to the greatness of Dirk. Some of his biggest fans in Dallas took care of that and posted it to YouTube.

Hat tip to Jimmy Traina and today’s edition of Hot Clicks for this video. As far as fan tribute videos go, this is about as good as it gets.

I like this video because the song has a catchy tune, it is well edited, and it is short, sweet, and simple. DFW digs Dirk. Point made, point taken.

I also liked this video in particular because one thing I have been struck my since moving to Dallas a few years ago is what I perceive to be a lack of appreciation for the big German.

Sure, Dirk is beloved down here, and people do, in general, appreciate what Dirk has meant as the proud yet humble foundation of a team that consistently wins 50 games a season. That said, I feel like the overall fan fervor about Dirk should be greater.

I feel like Dallas fans should be more passionate in defending their guy when he gets slighted nationally. I feel like Dallas fans should have more confidence in Dirk, though I understand that any perceived lack of confidence in Dirk is probably more an overall lack of confidence in a team that has consistently disappointed in the playoffs.

Anyway, when I write my Dirk Nowitzki Appreciation Post at some point, I’ll back up my Dirk love with numbers and empirical evidence of his supremacy. I can feel myself starting to ramble, and the walls of this workday are closing in, so I’ll wrap this post up with one final thought.

If you watch the Dallas-LA game tonight, pay more attention to Dirk than you normally do. Watch not only how consistent his jumpshot is, but pay attention to how smart and savvy he is about using his body and angles to gain every possible advantage he can, which is such a huge yet underrated part of what makes him unstoppable.

Dirk is one of the single greatest scoring machines ever to pick up a basketball. And that is not hyperbole. Appreciate him while he’s still at his peak, because we never saw anything like him before and we probably won’t see anything like him once he’s gone.

Yes, DFW digs Dirk, and so do I. So do all of us here at MSF.

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