Basketball Diary: The Will To Win!
by Kristin Currier
It was game 5 out of the best of seven, and if the Dallas Mavericks lost this one, they'd be out of the series for good. We turned on the set and watched sullenly as the San Antonio Spurs started scoring against the Mavs. The Mavericks, known for their hot and cold playing, seemed poised to nosedive down another icy slope. We couldn't bear to watch it. Matt switched the set over to Playstation, and I went back to learning Pagemill.
I've never really been that much of a sports fan. A true nerd, I was always the last one picked for school gym teams, and the team who got stuck with me were usually quite vocal about their disdain. I hated being on a team. I'd rather be alone, doing something that challenged me without the disapproving eyes of sheep like peers!
Growing up in Boston during the 70's and 80's, we had The Red Sox, The Bruins, The Patriots, and of course, the mighty Celtics. Larry Bird. Danny Ainge. Kevin McHale. That was my first introduction to basketball. My family were avid hockey fans, but I liked to watch the tall guys dance on the court. Their grace, coordination and skill impressed me more than the brute force in football and hockey.
But sports was just not my thing. No matter how much I liked basketball, I had better things to do. More constructive things. Sports are just fun and games. Crazy fat guys painting themselves and wearing wigs, scantily clad girls in spangled costume, silly bets where people lost money, and oh...all those damn advertisements. What's in it for an artsy nerd, like me? I used to get harassed by jocks and cheerleaders in school, why would I want anything to do with sports culture and the kind of mindless thug it seemed to attract??
Since we've moved to Dallas, we've been utterly depressed with it. We're quite happy enough. It's just this boring, vapid, homogenous place we hate. There's nothing pretty about it at all, unless you enjoy acres of malls and churches. What in the world can we love about this cookie-cutter McMansion cul de sac heaven? Bennigans on every corner?? Nope...
The Dallas Mavericks.
I still do have more constructive things to do than to watch TV. But I can't help it when I see the Mavs grit their teeth and give it their all. Something about it echoes my own will to succeed. There are more talented players in the NBA. But with their individual talents pooled together, and when they have their game on straight, they are formidable. Feisty. Defiant. Arrogant, even.
But, then again, they also have a tendency to fall apart. They lose their focus. They get rattled. Their will disintegrates, and they start to lose...like they were last night when we shut off the set in disappointment.
We turned the set back on during the fourth quarter, sure that the Mavs were on their way out of the series. To our amazement, the Mavs had clawed out of their 19 point slump, and had turned the tables on the Spurs, thanks to the cool-headed scoring of Michael Finely. Even Steve Nash, who had been asleep throughout the series, had awakened and was maneuvering the ball around the court like lightening. Nick Van Exel, my cocky favorite, scored 21 points, determined not to lose...not this time. Did I mention they had lost their best player 2 games ago, when Dirk Nowitzki injured his ankle? Pure will and determination got them through 3 miserable quarters without their star. They turned it around just when it seemed that fate...whatever THAT is...had their doom sealed and ready.
Maybe there IS something in sports for an artsy nerd like me.
I don't know if they will win the series. It doesn't matter as much as the fact that they've climbed this far to begin with. The Mavericks weren't much to look at before. When Mark Cuban took them on, he gave them brand new gyms, showers, and treated them like royalty. He believes in them. He's there at every game, emotion written all over his face. Let him be a lesson to anyone in a position of leadership. Let the Mavericks force of will and determination be an inspiration to anyone who feels the odds are against them. You may not be Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant. You may be the one who always seems to struggle, while others seem to have it easy. But there is strength in your will that you cannot measure, and the only thing that can limit it is yourself. Keep your eyes on the goal. Get up when you fall. Don't settle for mediocrity. When you're in the third quarter, and the score is down by 19 points, your will and mind will be just what you need to turn the tide and win the game.
Discuss this Article (3 messages)
|
