Give And Go
By Michael Angelo S. Murillo
The regular season of the National Basketball Association ended last week and while excitement ensued after in anticipation to what is shaping up to be an eventful postseason, some sadness were felt as well as two legends of the game decided to ride into the sunset.
All-Stars Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks had call it a career at the conclusion of the regular wars of the 2018-19 edition of the NBA.
No playoff appearances for the two on their final year as their respective teams failed to land in the top eight in their divisions but there was no denying them of fitting tributes in the end as they called it a career.
Drafted fifth overall in the 2003 draft, Wade did not instantly catch my attention as a player. He was solid off the starting block but with fellow rookies LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony also doing well in Cleveland and Denver, respectively, then, my attention veered their way than to that of “Flash.”
Come playoffs though in 2004, Wade impressed me. In particular in Game One of their opening playoff series with the New Orleans Hornets.
Playing in just his first postseason game, the young Wade took over for the Heat, who at that time had guys like Eddie Jones, Lamar Odom, Caron Butler and Brian Grant in its fold.
Wade would hit the game-winner with 1.3 second left over Baron Davis and Jamaal Magloire to give the Heat the victory. He would continue to figure prominently for the rest of the series as they eliminated the Hornets and moved to the next round.
From there, I became a silent admirer of the game of Wade, who I believe is up there among the great two guards in NBA history.
He went on to become a first-time NBA champion in 2006 in their “15-Strong” run to the title over Dallas where Wade was named finals most valuable player.
Wade was a steady presence in the US Olympic Team and added two more NBA titles on his mantle during the Heat’s “Big Three” era with James and Chris Bosh.
He established himself as one of the best all-around guards who played in The Association who many players right now in the league admittedly patterned their game after.
Just like Wade, German Nowitzki did not catch my fancy right away.
I was even surprised that Dallas traded for him on draft night in 1998 in exchange for its original pick at sixth, Robert Traylor, for number nine Nowitzki.
Traylor was solid entering the draft playing for the Michigan Wolverines, and I was perplexed by the move.
Eventually Nowitzki proved the Mavericks right in making the move, as together with Steve Nash and Michael Finley they made Dallas a steady force out in the West in the early 2000s.
When Nash and Finley departed for other teams, “Dirty” stepped on the plate as sole leader and flourished in it.
He became an offensive juggernaut, anchored on his now legendary one-legged fadeaway jumper, en route to becoming one of the leading scorers in NBA history when everything was said and done.
Championship success did not come for him until 2011 when the Mavericks beat the Heat in the NBA finals, but in the years leading to it Nowitzki was a picture of resilience and determination, making him one of the best who ever played the game.
I still believe that Hakeem Olajuwon is still the best foreign player to play in the NBA but Nowitzki could get some consideration for that. Regardless, he is on the Mount Rushmore of best foreign players in my book.
The great Larry Bird said in his tribute to Nowitzki at the latter’s final home game in Dallas that he always tells young players coming into the NBA that “you should leave the game better when you found it.”
Well, Wade and Nowitzki certainly did that and the NBA-dom is fortunate to have been a witness to their talent and what they had become.
Flash and Dirty, thanks for sharing your basketball talent and for all the memories. Enjoy the rest of your lives. First-ballot Hall-of-Famers both.
Michael Angelo S. Murillo has been a columnist since 2003. He is a BusinessWorld senior reporter covering the Sports beat.
