....to victory.....

You gotta have presence on the court. Presence like a cheetah rather than a chimp. Sure, they both got it, but Chimpy gotta jump his nuts around to get it. The shy cheetah moves with total nonchalance, stickin' it to them in his sexy, slow strut. Me? I play like a cheetah. - Jim Carroll

I have always been a fan of NBA Basketball though more casually, as of late. The current league seems lame, there just isn't very interesting games. The players seem to lack skills and sucessful team dynamics are usually tied to defense and not the art of ball movement, which is far more interesting to watch.

Still with all that is lacking for me in the game. I will always watch the playoffs. I remember once running out during half-time to buy a television when the tube went out on mine. It was worth it to see Alonzo Mourning, Larry Johnson Kendall Gill and Spudd Webb of the Charlotte Hornets pig pile at center court with their first playoff series victory. It's these moments where, we experience real human emotions in spite of all the corporate sponsors and hype that is what keeps our interest. Last years games had some very special moments and series. The ragtag misfits of the Miami Heat were fun to watch winning it all. Steve Nash and the Suns dramatic style was also a delight.

This year, I wasn't that excited about the playoffs but I have cable so I am able to watch casually. I knew that i would probably watch Steve Nash and the Suns because they are fun to watch. I knew much of the East would only garner Sportcenter highlight interest. The surprise was how much fun the Dallas-Golden state series would be. I had seen the Warriors during the regular season, the only game I went to in person. They looked like a bad college team. In fact the Sonics beat them. This was the Warriors pre-trade. Yet they squeaked into the playoffs with a victory over Portland. Clinching the 8th seed just barely. How good could a series between them and the Mavericks who won 67 games.? Evidently real good.

The subplot between the Warriors and Dallas is intriguing. The Mavericks were built by Don Nelson . He is currently the mad genius at the helm of the Warriors. He had retired from coaching after conflict with controversial Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. The staff( including Nelson's son Donny) and the team are all a part of the Nelson creation . Nelson left because of Cuban's hands on ownership and a dispute over financial compensation . Cuban had in fact accused Nelson lacking the desire to win at all cost because he refused to play his star player when he was injured . He feared it may cause career ending damage to the player's knee. He used money to snub and force Nelson out of the orgainzation.What could fate bring more dramatically interesting than the creator pitted against his creation and a taste for vengeance.

Well to cut to the chase the Warriors won against the Mavericks in Oakland last night. The series was emotional, exciting and well fought and yet Nelson held the magic in his hands. The Warriors succeeded against all odds; the great team, unorthodox style the pundits said could not win, injuries, lapses in concentration, etc. They were the underdog, expected by few to win and yet they were the victors. We humans love this story.

I know that I was taken by them and their fans who's shirts a sea of yellow read "WE BELIEVE". Isn't that the power of getting behind the underdog? Isn't that why we are drawn to it's energy? In our hearts, we all want to believe and have it be the outcome we desire in our lives despite of hard cold facts to the contrary. The story goes back a long ways, remember David and Goliath.

VIVA THE UNDERDOG!!!!!!!! It gives us all a little faith.