. . . but nobody wants to be Larry Bird, until now!  Dirk Nowitzki from the Dallas Mavericks is down-right-no-holds-barred AWESOME!  You can find other words to describe his level of play but they had better be similar or you’re not watching the same player that I am.  Rebounding, shooting, assisting, leadership and focus.  The Heat had better figure out a way to stop this guy’s “determination” or they can kiss this season good night.  I say determination because when you’re down 15 points half way through the fourth quarter and come back to win you have an attitude that’s dangerous, lethal and infectious.  I can hardly wait to watch tonights game.

Last thursday night was one of the best games of basketball I have ever watched and I’ve been a fan of the NBA for decades.  I’ve seen Bird, Magic and “His Airness” play unbelievable games and now I feel as though you have to include Nowitzki when you mention great players from the past.  Wow!  I can easily do that.  He has upstaged King James, who’s a great player mind you, but. . . !  When it’s all said and done the great “teams” of the past had Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan who won three, five, and six championships respectively.  Is it unfair to compare a 6’9” Bird to a 7′ Nowitzki?  Not really!

The is one of the few times in the past decade or so when a Larry Bird comparison comes into play.  You never hear that.  Kids grow up today dreaming of being the next Michael Jordan but have you ever heard of a kid growing up telling you he wants to be the next Larry Bird, or even Magic Johnson?  Never!  Nowitzki is an agile and crazy driven center who is playing with a torn tendon in his left hand was loud and angry at team mates in time out huddles and was pointing his finger demanding they play harder.  Wow I say again.  You don’t see that very often in today’s NBA.

Nowitzki knows he has to play both offense and defense in a flawless manner.  The Heat’s offense is more unreliable. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are one-on-one players who get to the rim and rely on a referee’s whistle. What if the ref doesn’t blow the whistle? What if they can’t get to the rim and have to rely on their jump shots?  The Heat act like offense doesn’t matter.

Nowitzki is an old-school player of the past (or at least he thinks like them) and when you study history in the NBA the old school players win far more rings than the flash in the pan Jordan wannabe’s.

We’ll see what happens.

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