Is Dirk Tough Enough?

After watching Minnesota's Ryan Hollins take cheap shots at both DeShawn Stevenson and Dirk Nowitzki on Monday night, I couldn't help but notice the completely different reactions by both Mavericks. DeShawn, who looks much scarier and more intimidating than he probably is in real life, took offense at Hollins and got up in his face, resulting in a technical foul. (Of course, the officials only saw Stevenson’s reaction, not Hollins’ initial punch; however, Hollins was later suspended by the league for two games, one for hitting DeShawn and one for swiping at Dirk). But late in the game, when the outcome had virtually been decided, Hollins faked a block attempt as an apparent excuse to whack Dirk upside the head, and Dirk did nothing…literally. He didn’t mouth off, nor lunge at Hollins in retaliation, nor even give the evil eye. He simply swiped the back of his head as if there were a pesky gnat buzzing by his ears and walked away. One of the newest Mavericks, Caron Butler, went after Hollins, in defense of Dirk, and while it was nice to see that his teammate had his back, it was also unnecessary. Dirk doesn’t have to stoop to trash talking or beneath the basket battery to make his presence felt; he lets his game do the talking for him.

Some people mistakenly believe that Dirk’s lack of in-your-face attitude equates to his supposed nonexistent killer instinct, but anyone who has ever watched Dirk play when the game in on the line knows better. Dirk’s passion for the game of basketball is evident every time he sets foot on the court, from tipoff to the final buzzer. Born and bred in Europe and having spent his formative years playing international style basketball as opposed to the more physical American style, Dirk is not viewed as a “tough guy” by fans, media, or even other players within the league. This is where I tend to disagree with popular opinion.

While it’s true you won’t find Dirk being suspended for punching another player and running away (a la Carmelo Anthony) or sucker punching an opponent in the groin while fighting for a loose ball (love ya, Jet!), Dirk is without a doubt one of the toughest players in the league today, both mentally and physically. When it comes to injuries, it takes a hell of a lot to slow Dirk down, and even more to sit him completely. In his career, Dirk has been a virtual iron man, rarely missing games, sometimes even when he should have. He constantly plays through pain and injuries and is often on the court even when he is not at 100%. Two seasons ago, he went down hard with both a high ankle sprain and a knee injury in a game against the Spurs while the Mavs were struggling to maintain a playoff spot. He was expected to be out a minimum of two weeks, likely longer, but fought his way through it and was again in the starting lineup after missing only four games. Dirk knew the Mavs needed him to help secure a playoff berth, and that is exactly what the big German did, even though he was clearly not playing at full strength.

Dirk has shown his share of mental toughness as well. One only has to look at the events that transpired this past summer, when his fiancee Cristal Taylor turned out to be someone totally different than who she had claimed. Dirk had to deal not only with the feelings of betrayal, hurt, and losing the woman that he had planned to spend the rest of his life with, but he had to try to maintain his focus on basketball at the same time. And he did. Granted, the Mavs did not come out on top in the conference semifinal series with Denver, but none of that blame could rightfully be laid at Dirk’s gigantic feet.

Personally, I’m proud of the fact that Dirk doesn’t feel the need to thug it up. While it irks me to see him get pushed around and hear him labeled as “soft,” I appreciate the fact that he is an upstanding man and doesn’t feel the need to stoop to punk like behavior on the court or off. It’s that strength of character and integrity that cause many fans, such as myself, to hold Dirk in such high regard and view him with the utmost respect. When all is said and done, Dirk will never be known as an on-court enforcer. He will, however, be remembered as one of the NBA’s toughest players, in the truest sense of the words.