From Tim McMahon’s story, posted on ESPN:
Dirk Nowitzki’s sinus infection and the ensuing storyline apparently was a source of amusement for Miami Heat superstars Dwyane Wade and LeBron James before Game 5.
As they walked out of American Airlines Center after Thursday morning’s shoot around, Wade and James pretended to cough and wheeze, smirking as they repeatedly covered their mouths with their shirts while being filmed by Miami CBS affiliate WFOR.
“Whoa, did y’all hear me cough? I think I’m sick,” Wade said before turning toward James and chuckling.
Add a row of skinny lockers on one side of the hallway and a few classroom doors on the other and you would have a scene straight out of high school:
A couple of bullies, throwing cowardly, passive-aggressive insults around at someone who they perceive is weaker than them and who is not present.
Childish, behind-the-back cruelty.
I don’t care how big or how rich these two are. These aren’t men.
They are little boys.
Can anyone ever imagine Maverick’s stars Jason Kidd, Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Terry pulling this kind of low-class nonsense?
Or even most of James and Wade’s teammates? Do you think Udonis Haslem, who has been playing on an injured foot for most of the season, would be making comments like this about a player on another team?
Had I been on their team, I’d be angry as hell.
And what if Dirk Nowitzki had suddenly appeared in that hallway and confronted them on their behavior? What might James and Wade have said?
“We’re just playing, man. Relax”
“No offense, Dirk. We’re just joking around.”
“Chill out, dude.We’re just messing around.”
Exactly the kinds of things that bullies say when confronted with their actions.
I watched this video a couple days ago and knew that the Mavericks would win the title.
The fact that Dirk Nowitzki was named the Finals MVP was icing on the cake.
In the end, the universe could have it no other way.
It was simply a matter of men playing against little boys.
