Whenever big moments happen in the NBA, there are two writers I typically go to perspective: Bill Simmons and Adrian Wojnarowski. It is far too early for Simmons to have written one of his 10,000 word tomes on what we nowitznessed last night, but Woj’s, of course, was in the can long before I even woke up.
And it’s predictably spectacular.
Perseverence pays off for Nowitzki, Mavs — Adrian Wojnarowski
And I’m serious when I say I teared up a little bit. Dirk Nowitzki’s career is an inspiration and is everything that sports should be and represent. That he and the Mavericks won the first title in this The Era of the Heat is so fitting it’s almost absurd.
How could a storybook end so perfectly and appropriately, right?
Anyway, here is an excerpt. Read the whole article. It says everything I’d want to say, but 100 times better.
As the buzzer sounded on a 105-95 victory, Nowitzki didn’t run to the middle of the floor, into the throbbing mob of teammates and coaches, cameras and flickering lights. He wanted to get out of there, wanted to be alone in the visiting locker room. The tears had started to come, and he just thought that he ought to be alone with them.
Eventually, the Mavericks had to drag him back out to take his Finals MVP trophy, and take his bow on the podium for national television. In the culminating moment of his career, Nowitzki was sheepish, deferring and humbled. He seemed so at peace, so contented. He had taken everything the basketball world could throw his way, and there was no Bleep You moment on Sunday night. There was no I Told You So.
Dirk doesn’t do endorsements and doesn’t do self-promotion. He doesn’t care. He never wanted to be a brand. He wanted to be an NBA champion.
Oh, and Woj keeps the LeBron bashing to a minimum. But what he says is measured, powerful, illuminating, and perfectly relevant in the moment. Essentially, that LeBron will win his rings, but he’ll never experience the purity of what Dirk experienced last night.
About Jerod Morris
Dude, I read that article..was ok but not as special as you hyped it up. I have read Bill Simmons and he does comes up with good pieces but if you want great stuff then there is no better writer than the "great Joe Posnanski". The only sports writer whose opinion is worth a dam to me. I read all kinds of sports articles and spend a lot of times reading them but my opinion about sports writer is usually as low as people have of the world oldest profession. The sports writers go with flow, they critique like know it all (when they have no clue about athlete's mindset or game is), they try to make it good vs evil or try to say that they know what the athlete is thinking or what kind of man he is. I haven't researched Adrain but won't be surprised if he said Dirk is soft etc etc. You won't find great Joe Posnanski get into stupid critques like that and that's why he is the great Joe Posnanski.
You are absolutely write that there is no writer better than Joe Posnanski, and I am on record saying that many times. Great point!