Walking out of the American Airlines Arena following game 6 of the National Basketball Association finals, a Miami Heat fan stopped LeBron James and asked if he had change for a dollar.
James reached into his pocket and handed the man 75 cents.
When the fan looked at him rather quizzically, James explained:
"I don't have a fourth quarter.''
That Internet joke sums up why the upstart Dallas Mavericks are the champions of the world.
Normally, I wouldn't watch or write about the National Basketball Association.
But when James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh teamed up to win a championship for themselves, and thus also for the Miami Heat, they immediately became the most disliked team in professional sports.
This was the dream team, the can't miss, sure-fire champions.
James boldly proclaimed the Heat wouldn't win just one title, but eight.
So, out of necessity, America became fans of the Mavericks.
Which meant we had to root for Mark Cuban, the ultimate maverick.
Cuban has paid more in fines than most of us will make during our lifetimes. He has challenged the NBA hierarchy time and again.
Yet, better him hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy than the Chosen Three.
I was in Las Vegas when the series started and it didn't take long to see that Dallas was playing as a team while Miami simply was a group of massively talented individuals whose main strategy was to get each other open to take jump shots. More than any other sport, basketball is a team game and the best team won.
I'm sure the NBA got higher ratings than it would have received had we had yet another Lakers-Celtics finale. And while we don't like to delight in somebody losing, it was hard not to root against the Heat.
Plus, if any player ever deserved a championship, it was Dirk Nowitzki, who has more than paid his dues and spent his entire NBA career toiling for the Mavericks, even though he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, who immediately traded him to Dallas. (Nice move, Milwaukee.)
The significance of that event? The Revolution's only goal was scored by former Parkersburg High School standout Zak Boggs. With New England trailing 2-0, Boggs scored in the 54th minute to give his team a chance to earn a tie.
Actually it would have earned a tie but the first goal of the game was an own goal when a New England player accidently put the ball in the wrong net.
Speaking of the Boggs family, don't forget to vote for Tori Boggs in the Sammy MVP?competition. You can cast a vote each day for the seven-time world jump rope champion at http:sammymvp.com/tori-boggs
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
