May

7

Something happened this week in the National Basketball Association that has never happened in the history of the sport. A number 8-seeded team defeated a number 1 seed in a best of 7 series. There were several instances in the past, where the lowest seeded team defeated the highest seed, but this was in a best of 5 series. It had never happened in a best 7 series up to now.

The Golden State Warriors finished the regular season at 42-40 and the Dallas Mavericks had a regular season record of 67-13 and a road record of 31-10. The Mavericks had a 17 game win streak and 3 streaks where they won at least 12 games in a row. The Warriors had to win the final game of the regular season just to make the playoffs. The Mavericks came in to the playoffs with one of the best records in the history of the NBA. They were led by their MVP Dirk Nowitzski and were set to return to the finals, which they appeared in last year only to lose to the Miami Heat in six games. The Warriors were just fortunate to make the playoffs.

The Warriors won the series in 6 games and sent the Mavericks back the lone star state a very humbled and very beaten team along with their flamboyant and outspoken billionaire owner Mark Cuban.

This got me to thinking. What was the decisive factor in the series? What was it that tilted things in the favor of the Warriors? I am sure there are many theories and views floating around on this subject. So I thought I would weigh in with my thoughts.

Was it because their 66-year-old coach, Don Nelson had a personal score to settle? After all, he coached the Maverick just two years removed and was replaced by current coach Avery Johnson. Was it that Stephen Jackson had something to prove. He was one of the players who was involved in the worst fight in sports history when he was a member of the Indiana Pacers and was traded to the Warriors. Was it because they dominated the Mavericks in the regular season series and thus had confidence going into the playoffs?

I am sure those who know far more about the game of basketball than I can give a statistical and analytical analysis why the Warriors won. They can throw out the concept of match-ups and strategy, perhaps luck, officiating and a host of other tangible and intangible factors that came into play. This is of course very plausible.

I submit they won because they had nothing to lose. They looked like they had fun in every single game. They played with energy and enthusiasm and at times with reckless abandon. They looked like young kids running up and down the court. There was no doubt that they were the team that displayed the most confidence and showed no great tension at crunch time. .

The Mavericks just looked like they were worried much of the time. And when it came to critical junctures of games, they just came up short.

I share this story as I feel that there is a lifetime of lessons in this one event that we can learn from. That maybe just maybe, at the end of the day and the series that many times it comes down to the fact that the team that wins just has more fun along the way.

I would like to hear others' personal stories about just having fun making the difference between winning and losing. And maybe not even winning but coming out ahead and leaving with a personal feeling of accomplishment.

Stefan Jovanovich writes:

Somewhere in the archives is a video clip of Chili Davis, one of my favorite Giants players, snapping his bat over his thigh while walking away from the plate after striking out. What is amazing is not the strength it takes to do that but that Davis did it without breaking stride. He left the pieces behind him while continuing his walk back to the dugout. Even when he was angry, Davis played loose.

As a reminder that baseball should never be more than a game, Davis used write 70 on the end of each of his bats in indelible marker. "I do that," he said, "to tell myself only use 70% of my strength when I swing. 110% is a guaranteed pop-up."


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