Stan's Blog

Isn't it ironic?

There's an interesting twist of irony surrounding the NBA's Dallas Mavericks. Most everyone knows the Mavs have set their sights on winning an NBA title ever since Mark Cuban bought the team. And nobody around here can forget how painfully close the Mavs were to staking that claim in the 2006 NBA Finals.

Here's where it gets ironic.

If you listen to the national media - and quite a few locals as well - they'll tell you the Mavs will never be a truly elite team because Dirk Nowitzki is a soft, European player. The big German isn't tough enough. He's not a leader. Too much finesse and not enough grit.

Many go a step further and attribute his weakness to never having played "street ball" and learning how to be tough in the "ghetto," like so many African American players who find their way to the NBA. American players are just tougher, they say.

Up until 2006, that argument usually was followed up with this statement: In order for the Mavericks to become a great team, Dirk needs a partner so the Mavs can become a two-headed monster, similar to the Chicago Bulls' two-star show in Michael Jordan and Scotty Pippen.

Then 2006 came around and suddenly Josh Howard was the reason our Mavs will become the next great NBA dynasty.

Uh, no.

It's time the media start bashing "J-Ho" instead of Dirk. In fact, if Josh Howard represents American basketball then give me a team full of big, soft Europeans. At least a guy like Dirk respects the American national anthem, even though he has far fewer reasons to do so.

Josh Howard continues to paint himself as the primary reason our Mavs won't win a championship anytime soon. He's immature. He's selfish. He's unprofessional. He's the complete opposite of a team player and an insufficient candidate to be Dirk's running mate.

Mark Cuban said, "Josh really is a good guy with a great heart. He just doesn't do a good job of showing that side of himself publicly."

Do what?

Really good guys with great hearts don't spiral out of control like this. They care too much about their teammates to be continually caught up in controversy. They embrace their status as a role model instead of defying and destructing that notion at every turn. They appreciate a country that is fanatical about its sports teams in such a way that allows players like J-Ho to live beyond luxuriously.

Seriously, what else could this guy do to make this kind of money? And in what other country?

As for irony, anyone else think it's ironic that "J-Ho" rhymes with Ghe-tto?

posted by Stan W @ 11:20 AM