| Ex-Warrior Making Impact in Finals Authored by Payam Jahromi - June 19, 2006 - 1:35 am
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The NBA Finals have been very entertaining, capping off the best playoffs in a long time. But as I watch the Mavericks and Heat battle for the Larry O’Brien trophy, there is one fact I cannot get over.
Erick Dampier is a factor in the NBA Finals.
I never thought I would read or say those words. But Dampier has definitely had a positive impact in the series for the Mavs, averaging 26 minutes, seven points, eight rebounds and a block through four games.
Those numbers aren’t exactly mind-blowing. And when I say Dampier is a factor, I’m not saying he’s a factor the way Dirk or Wade are. He’s not even Dallas’ starting center (although he’s playing more minutes and putting up better numbers than Desagana Diop).
But we’re talking about Erick Dampier, one of the great underachievers of all time, helping a possible NBA champion.
Every Warriors fan who watched Damp play seven years in the Bay Area knows his story. The guy has more talent than his actual, on-the-court production. He appears lazy and disinterested. He has one great performance followed by 10 bad ones, making him a bigger tease than Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct.
After his first six seasons with the Warriors, I was ready to concede that maybe Damp wasn’t as talented as everyone made him out to be. He had only averaged over 10 points and over eight rebounds once (both in his first season with the Warriors).
But in his seventh and final season with G-State, he had the ultimate “contract year,” averaging over 12 points and 12 rebounds, shattering career highs in both. That cemented his status as a legendary underachiever.
So what are we to think of his sudden impact in the Finals? Should we be surprised? Should we be happy for him? Bitter?
Personally, I’m not surprised at all. I’ve seen Damp play well and I’ve seen him play well against Shaq. If he was motivated enough in his contract year to play hard for 74 games, I’m sure he’s capable of doing it for seven games on the game’s biggest stage.
But what I can’t get over is how I feel about it. Instead of being bitter or just not caring, I’m actually ROOTING for Damp to play well and I have no idea why. I think in a weird way I want him to succeed because he was a Warrior for so long, and it’s almost as if he’ll always be a Warrior to me.
But here’s the twist: as a Warriors fan, I hate Erick Dampier. I hated him when he played here and was happy when he was traded. I wouldn’t trade Adonal Foyle for him (which is the worst insult to any center). No matter how well Damp plays or how many championships he wins, I still wouldn’t want him back.
Yet in a weird way it’s like I’m watching my underachieving kid finally doing something productive with his life. I’m genuinely happy for him.
Happy Fathers Day…
…to my father and a great man, who passed away June 7 2006. Rest in peace dad, I will miss talking sports with you.
If you have any questions or comments, you can email me at pjahromi@sbcglobal.net |
