Dirk Nowitzki: Making The NBA Relevant Again.

[JenksIX]

I've been a Jason Kidd fan since he was a NJ Net, so I've been hoping the Mavs were going to be able to make this a series against 3 phenomenal/all-time players (James, Wade, Bosh.) Kidd has been to the finals before, but has never won and as a casual, not very interested NBA fan it was nice to hear Kidd at 38 was in another finals. He's a good leader and the moment is never to big for him, though the years might be holding him back now. Anyway, I've been keeping my eyes on these finals and realized there is a white knight in the NBA and his name is Dirk Nowitzki. A 7'0 tall, german dude who sinks rainbow shot from outside the paint.

I've really enjoyed this series and I'm hoping that the Dallas Mavericks can defeat the Miami Heat. I recently saw a video of the Heat mocking the Mavs/Dirk, kidding about having a cough/fever etc and this was before game 5 where the Mavs took a 3-2 lead over the heat.

Anyway, I've noticed that the ratings for these finals are pretty high and I was just wondering if may be having a team with white players(the Mavs) might have something to do with it. I've seen discussions before on this site about how black viewers might not watch wrestling because there aren't many black champions (Which came first:The Black Champion/Black Fan.)
Anyway, do you think more people are watching these finals because there are more white athletes competing? As well, the team with more white athletes has the 3-2 lead at this point against one of the greatest collections of talent ever in Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.

 

[Big Sexy]

You couldn't be anymore wrong. The ratings for the finals are high because people want to see LeBron and the rest of the Heat lose and the series is competitive. It could have been OKC, San Antonio, LA, Memphis, and as long as they were giving the Heat a run for there money then the ratings would be this high. White vs black plays no role in this. Besides Jason Kidd is half black and JJ Barea is Puerto Rican. The only full white American player in this series plays for the Heat. Race is completely irrelevant to the ratings.

 

[JenksIX]

I'm not a huge NBA fan, so I don't know where my opinion matters. That's why I felt I'd post the article that gave me the inspiration for my post. I think the question, inevitably, is if caucasion's are able to vicariously live through black players.

Make no mistake about it, Dirk Nowitzki is a first ballot hall of famer and one of the greatest players to ever pick up a basketball. The skills he possesses for someone 7 feet tall is something the NBA has never seen before. During the 2011 NBA playoffs Dirk Nowitzki has been nothing short of spectacular delivering clutch performance after clutch performance. He now stands just 3 wins shy of the NBA championship that has eluded him for so many years. He has become a media sensation overnight and the public's sentimental favorite. Although Dirk Nowitzki is a great player and a likeable guy it is my opinion that the love affair associated with him has more to do with the color of his skin than his basketball ability.

In the last 20 years the NBA has turned into a chocolate factory. 82% of the players are Black and of the 24 participants in the 2011 all star game only 2 were White (Nowitzki and Kevin Love). Without a lot of players to rally around the fans have developed an inferiority complex and gravitate towards anyone that can defy the odds. DIrk Nowitzki has an MVP award and a previous appearance in the finals so he definitely fits the bill.

It's not a racist statement to say that White people are pulling for Dirk Nowitzki to win a championship. Chinese people pull for Yao Ming. Puerto Rican people pull for JJ Barea. Spaniards pull for Pau and Marc Gasol. It is only natural to support your own. Basketball has no hidden agenda with regard to the color of its players, it's all about results on the court. The fans however need to be reassured that anything is possible otherwise they will begin to believe that White guys aren't capable of winning a championship. Dirk Nowitzki gives NBA fans hope that anything is possible and that's good for the sport. Even if (when) Dirk doesn't win the title this year he brings legitimacy and hope to a fan base that desperately needs it. Who says White men can't jump?

 

[Big Sexy]

I may be wrong but I'm guessing whoever wrote that article isn't someone who's well known. The article doesn't really make much sense to begin with. Dirk is a foreign born and raised player. I'm not sure how a 7 foot German winning a title gives the American white fan hope. The writer just comes off looking dumb if you ask me. I couldn't give a fuck less about what color a player is as long as he's a great player. The writer is grasping for something that just isn't there.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Racist people are usually stupid. White is white. Because of that, I'm guessing at least a small portion of the white audience is rooting for the white man, and against the black man.

 

[Big Sexy]

Racist people are usually stupid. White is white. Because of that, I'm guessing at least a small portion of the white audience is rooting for the white man, and against the black man.

Yea but you have something like that almost every year. Pau Gasol the last three years, Ginobili before that, etc...

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Yea but you have something like that almost every year. Pau Gasol the last three years, Ginobili before that, etc...

Neither of those guys are as important as Dirk. He has been the symbol of "white" basketball for years now. I don't think he's a draw, but, I'm guessing race has at least a small amount to do with the hatred for the Miami Heat, and Dirk's the most popular white guy in basketball.

 

[Big Sexy]

Neither of those guys are as important as Dirk. He has been the symbol of "white" basketball for years now. I don't think he's a draw, but, I'm guessing race has at least a small amount to do with the hatred for the Miami Heat, and Dirk's the most popular white guy in basketball.

Ginobili's popularity a few years ago may not have been where Dirk's is but it's closer then you think. Besides I can almost guarantee that the ratings would be this good no matter who was playing the Heat as long as the series was competitive. People want to see Miami lose and they don't really care who gets the job done. I'd also argue that Steve Nash is easily the most popular "white" player/symbol of "white" basketball over the last 5-10 years over Dirk. Dirk has had a lot of detractors up until recently.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Yeah, I don't know what we're even talking about anymore. General point I'm attempting to make -- race plays a role, even if it's minimal. The hate for the Miami Heat isn't all about race, but it's definitely a factor for some.

 

[Big Sexy]

If it plays a factor then it is extremely extremely miniscule. Dirk isn't exactly the Great White Hope. If they were playing Chicago instead of Miami I highly doubt this discussion would have even been brought up and I highly doubt the ratings for the series would have been this high.