If Wade is Batman than it Feels Like Lebron is 'Robin' us of our Lunch Money!

(BA DUUUM CHHHHHHHHHHHH) ....This is the part of the post where you're either saying to yourself "Wow, what a funny title! (hahahahahahahah) I can't wait to read the rest!" or... "Really? That's how you are going to start this? Let's hope that's your last attempt at humor for the day."

Regardless of how impressed you are with the comedic value of the title, you cannot deny there is some truth to it. Through four games I can safely say that I've learned three things from these Hollywood script like finals;

1. Dirk Nowitzki is straight up the man.
2. The Miami Heat continue to be property of a Mr. Dwyane Tyrone Wade Jr.
3. LeBron James is perfectly content with point number 2.

It's easy for me to talk about point number 1, I mean these entire finals have been pretty much a Dirk love fest. (I'm really starting to think that if Dallas pulls out this series there are several people in the media who will be waiting for Dirk at his locker after the game with their pants off.) I'll quickly say that it's amazing how every game as soon as you think he's just being bullied by somebody like Udonis Haslem, he flips the switch and just straight up takes over. His performance has been simply put, sensational. Let's just hope guys like Jason Terry, J.J. Barrea, and especially Tyson Chandler continue to show up for the rest of the series because God knows Dirk can't do it all on his own. (At this point I'm considering a helpful Jason Kidd performance a given, he can help Dirk without scoring.)

The next two points we can kinda cover at the same time. There was never any doubt going into this season that this would be D-Wade's team and LeBron would have to work at making it rightfully his. The thing we didn't know going in was that LeBron had no problem whatsoever with this being Wade's team. It honestly seems like he is perfectly happy being the Robin to Wade's Batman, being the Pippen to Wade's Jordan, damn it he's even content with being the Rob Schneider to Wade's Adam Sandler! Going into this series I though that was fine, I even told one of my friends after watching a 1st and 10 debate, "If I'm the Heat I don't care who's finishing, LeBron or Wade, as long as Dwayne Wade is the guy making that decision." Truth be told I believed that until I sat there watching game 4, honestly forgetting that there was a guy named LeBron on this Miami Heat team. Believe it or not I for a brief moment in time though to myself "If Dwyane Wade can't get open they need to give the ball to Bosh!" Please tell me you guys see what's wrong with that statement? How had LBJ actually fallen that far out of the picture in that game that the first thing I thought down the stretch was that if Wade was in trouble they'd need to get the ball to Bosh? I've spent the last few months making fun of Bosh for just about everything (insert Chris Bosh is ugly and/or Two and a Half Men joke) and there was actually a moment in time where I thought of him over LeBron, possibly the most talented basketball player on the planet! Unbelievable.

That's what, in a truly breathtaking NBA Finals thus-far, is heartbreaking about this series. We have one of the greatest athletes in the world on the court and instead if living up to his potential, he's OK with hiding out in the corner watching Wade try and win him a ring. I feel as if, up to this point, I had been fair with LeBron James. I wasn't going to compare him to MJ, I wasn't going to blame him for having no supporting cast in Cleveland, and I wasn't even going to blame him for leaving. But you know what? I will blame him if he doesn't bring it in the next few games of this series. I will blame him if he fails to play to what his potential is. I will blame him if he robs me of witnessing what should be an awe inspiring performance in crucial moments of big games. And the biggest thing is, I will blame him for appearing not to care.

Deep down part of me hopes that tonight, in game 5, LeBron's stats look like 35-12-10 and he just goes Cee Lo Green, F You, all over the Dallas Mavericks. Not because I want the Heat to win, I don't. Not because I'm even a huge LBJ fan as a player, I'm not. But because I want to witness something special. As an NBA fan I want to see the performance I thought I would see. I don't want to walk away feeling like I've been robbed of something, even if it's something as juvenile as my lunch money.

Class Dismissed,
The Sports Undergrad

SoS

Creating a Lasting Legacy

Right off the bat I need to start by saying that this has been an incredible NBA post season thus-far. Every round has offered its own flavor of off the walls excitement and corny soap opera type drama. And after all the scuffling and chaos finally two teams have emerged above the rest as title contenders. In on corner we have the Dallas Mavericks, a veteran bunch whose offense runs through post-season MVP, Dirk Nowitzki. Then in the other corner we have the villains, the front-runners, the NBA's version of Two and a Half Men, or as you might know them the Miami Heat. This is a team created last off-season that will wow you with their mix of athleticism and determination. One team is young, one team is old. One team is deep, one team is shallow. One team came together last off-season, one team has been years in the making. Which team will win? And maybe more importantly; how will this series shape the legacies of two superstars, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki.

The impact on the career this series will have of these two athletes might be bigger than the series itself because of the rare historical significance of these future Hall of Famers. For Dirk it would be the cherry on top of what has been a sensational, all time great, career. Say what you want about him being 'soft' (complete bs) or his funky ways of scoring (the man is a magician out there) his 23 and 8 career average make him potentially one of the greatest scoring big men of all time.  He's come so close and been snake bitten so many times before that this series would put an end to any doubt that he can get it done when it matters most. This is a make or break series for Dirk.

Oh yes, then we have LeBron. Can you here the haters now? "LeBron doesn't have the clutch gene!" "LeBum can't win it all!" "LeB**ch will never be Jordan!" (By the way, is this really a fair criticism? I mean, who ever will be Jordan?) "DELONTE WEST SLEPT WITH LEBRON'S MOM!" (Once again, probably not a fair criticism and extremely inappropriate but wildly funny and will never get old.) The point is that if LeBron doesn't win a title this year people will continue to question if he ever will, if he ever can.. Fair or not the criticism WILL come. And eventually, perception can become reality. If LeBron wins he potentially becomes a top 5 all time player (and according to Scottie Pippen maybe better) and the rest of the NBA is in a buttload of trouble for the next 5 to 10 years. (remember, the Heat WILL get better) No way of denying it, this is a big time opportunity for LeBron.

The best part of this series is that in 20 years when me and my son are sitting watching some sports and he asks me about LeBron or Dirk, I'll tell him about this series. No matter the outcome, this will be a series we talk about when defining the legacies of all time greats. And by the way, I haven't even mentioned Jason Kidd or Dwyane Wade until this point, both guys who will be in the Hall and will have their respective legacies impacted by this series. (Ok fine, and alien/dinosaur love baby Chris Bosh too.) So if you're a true NBA fan, sit down, grab some snacks, and watch this series because I promise you this; you'll be talking about this series for the rest of your lives. Enjoy the series and good luck to both squads because God knows, there is a hell of a lot at stake. And by the way, I'm taking the Mavs in 6. (Dirk will continue to be Dirk and the Heat won't be able to keep up with the performances of role players like Barrea and Chandler.)

Class Dismissed,
The Sports Undergrad

SoS