Kidd, Dirk Prove Ageless in Season Opener

Mavs 101, Bobcats 86 -- Kidd and Dirk Seem Ageless in Season Opener

Being the rabid Mavs’ fan that I am, most people are surprised to learn that, in the 25 years I have followed this team, I’ve never once been to a season opener. Usually when I am able to get tickets to games, they come later on in the season, and for the past several years, Dad and I have made a habit of attending the Mavs’ final home game each season, using his birthday as our excuse for buying tickets. So while I’ve often been there for the ending, up until this past week, I’d never been there for the start of a new season. And after enjoying Dallas’ home opening win against the Bobcats, it looks like I picked the right time to come.

If Dallas has owned any team over the past several seasons, it has been the Charlotte Bobcats. The Bobcats were 0-12 against the Mavericks heading into Wednesday night’s game, when history repeated itself as Dallas won handily, 101-86, at the AAC. Dallas remained the only team in the NBA that Charlotte has yet to beat since the Bobcats joined the league in 2004.

Dallas got off to a great start, opening up with a 16-0 run before Charlotte was able to get on the board. (By that point, I was calling for a shutout, however unrealistic it might have seemed). Charlotte began steadily chipping away at Dallas’ early lead, especially once the Mavs pulled their starters in favor of the bench. Dallas’ second unit was not nearly as effective, allowing Charlotte back in the game. With Dallas’ starters out, particularly Kidd and Nowitzki, the Bobcats managed to take a lead at 31-27 early in the second quarter before the Mavs righted the seemingly sinking ship. At the half, Dallas led 49-45, a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the night.

As usual, Dirk was his smooth-shooting self, finding the basket on 11-of-13 shots from the field, as well as shooting a perfect 6-of-6 from the line. Dirk extended his consecutive made free throw streak to 78, dating back to last season. He led the team in scoring with 28, to go along with his team-high 13 rebounds.

Jason Kidd finished with a double-double of his own, racking up 13 points and 18 assists. His 18 assists set a franchise record for an opening night, and left him one short of tying John Stockton (19) for the all-time opening night assist record. Kidd also had three steals and a block, proving that age is nothing but a number to this 37-year-old future Hall of Famer.

Jason Terry also poured in 22 points on 10-of-15 shots, and his effort at improving his defense this off-season seemed to pay off, as he led the Mavs with four steals. J.J. Barea was one bright spot off the Dallas bench, helping to keep the Mavs from stumbling too far without their starters on the court. Barea finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 steals.

Even though there was no shutout like I had hoped, both Dirk and Kidd proved they still got game, and I can’t wait to see more of it as the season goes along…

Fan Jam

Every year for the past eight years, I've eagerly awaited the start of Mavs' training camp, not only because it signals the start of my favorite season of the year -- basketball season -- but because it means that Fan Jam, my favorite Mavericks' event of the year, is right around the corner. Although I missed the first four events, once I attended my first Fan Jam in 2002, I've made it a point to find a way to be there each year since. Because I love to share my passion for basketball with anyone who will allow it, I've been accompanied to Fan Jam by many different faces over the years as well: Chintamani; Holly and her son Jake; Joella and her family; Merenda; Dad and Trystan; last year's surprise guest, Mom; and I've even attended one solo. (No shame in going it alone when I'm supporting my Mavs!) This year, Fan Jam was an extra special event because I finally got to bring along Trystan, my little Mavs fan in the making, when she was old enough to enjoy and remember it.

Thanks to a little help from my friends with the Mavericks, I was able to score four passes to the exclusive VIP autograph session that began an hour or so before the doors opened to the public. While getting to be up close to my Mavericks is always a thrill for me, I already have enough autographed hats, shirts, jerseys, and other memorabilia to fill an entire room, so my main goal for Fan Jam was to make something good happen for Little T, by helping her meet her favorite Maverick, Dirk. So myself, Trystan, Merenda and her boyfriend Bubba all waited in line outside the AAC for the doors to open so we could make a run for Dirk's table, knowing his line would naturally be longer than anyone else's. Even though we had inside knowledge as to where his table was located, by the time we ran around there (yes, literally ran!) and made it to his table, there were already about 75 or 100 people ahead of us. But since our goal was for T to finally meet her hero, we waited patiently until it was our turn to approach the table where he sat.

Bubba walked up first, handing over his new Mavs basketball for Dirk to sign it. Before Bubba had a chance to say a word, Trystan threw her blue basketball up on the table and said, "Spurs suck!", which sent us into fits of laughter. Dirk, however, didn't hear her at first. After signing Bubba's ball, Dirk turned his attention to Little T, saying "How are you, Princess?" to which Trystan proudly and loudly replied, "SPURS SUCK!" This time, Dirk heard and understood her and he, too, got quite a kick out of it. Due to Dirk's overwhelming popularity, they wouldn't let us take a picture of T and Dirk together, but we got a few good ones of her at the table across from Dirk, courtesy of my good friend Chintamani and her excellent photographic skills. (Although I did actually remember my camera this year, and even switched to rechargeable batteries, I kinda forgot to charge the batteries before we left home. Oops, my bad...again!)

Being the HP Insider earlier this year definitely had its perks, one of them being that I am now a familiar face to several people affiliated with the Mavericks. It has given me some small sense of mini-celebrity when I'm at a game or Mavericks event and Fan Jam was no exception. As we waited in line to see Dirk, Kyle (works for the Mavs) and a photographer came by and stopped to snap a couple pics with me, which is always fun. And to a certain brown-eyed little girl, it makes me seem like I'm a superstar. (Ok, sometimes as a 34-year-old, it makes me feel like a superstar, too!)

Once we achieved our goal of helping Trystan meet Dirk, we wandered over to Jason Kidd's table, as he is my other favorite Maverick, and waited in his long line. The security guard was going to end the autograph session with the people directly in front of us, but something about Trystan and her cuteness (a lethal weapon at times) convinced him to let us through anyway. So in an hour's time, we got to meet Dirk, Dee Brown (who was at Kidd's table but didn't end up making the final team cut), and J-Kidd. Mission accomplished, plus we had fun in the process.

After the autographs, we made our way to some great seats behind the bench for the team's blue and white scrimmage, where they are split into two seemingly equally talented teams and play against themselves. The PA announcer suggested one half of the arena root for the blue team, and the other half for the white, but I love my Mavs so much I couldn't root for one bunch of guys over the other. It proved to be a close game though, with some quick moves and high flying showstopping highlight reel type dunks, providing an end to a great night's entertainment and leaving me longing for the start of the regular season yet again.

Offseason Offerings: Reviewing the Summer

Hello friends, family, followers, and fellow Mavs fans! Although I've been silent the past several months, preoccupied with life away from basketball (imagine that!), I'm so excited that my favorite time of year is finally here! Three cheers for the start of another wonderful NBA season, and my return to my other love -- writing all about it.

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After the LeBron James fiasco, in which I completely misjudged the kid's character and integrity, I became temporarily disillusioned with the idea that once again, dollar signs meant more than loyalty. It disheartened me to think that LeBron could so easily turn his back on the team and the town that had loved and adored him for so long, deciding to join Wade and Bosh in Miami instead. There are SO many problems with that arrangement I don't even know where to begin. So I won't, except to say I hope Miami tanks it in the worst possible way. Nothing -- aside from a Mavs' championship, of course -- would make me happier than to see LeBron and D-Wade go down in flames this season.

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This summer, real life got in the way of my enjoyment of basketball and reminded me that even though I don't always acknowledge it, there IS life outside of basketball. The first night of our summer vacation in Houston, my husband Rickey had a heart attack, which pushed his one remaining kidney into failure, ultimately resulting in him having to go on dialysis. Dialysis has been a complete lifestyle change for the both of us, as it involves being up at 5am three days a week for treatments, as well as dietary changes that neither one of us have enjoyed much. On a positive note, however, Rickey's health is much improved and we are both beginning to adjust to our new healthier way of life. We had another surprise this off-season as our niece Merenda, who, along with her soon-to-be five-year-old daughter Trystan, is currently living with us, found out she would be having another baby. So as usual, things around our house have been a bit hectic, to put it mildly. I'm definitely excited that, with the start of basketball season, life can return to some degree of normalcy.

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As eventful as my offseason was, I was initially disappointed in the lack of movement made by the Mavericks this summer. Once again, it seemed as if we missed out any and all of the big name free agents, and even the middle of the road veterans who might have been the final puzzle piece to put this ball club into true championship contention. Or at least lead them out of the first round of the playoffs. The most notable move the Mavs made this offseason, aside from resigning Dirk, was picking up Tyson Chandler.

I hadn't really followed Chandler's career prior to the Mavs signing him, but I clearly remembered how he had given Dallas grief several years ago in their first round playoff exit against the New Orleans Hornets. Watching him in preseason, and in the World Championships this summer (in which the USA won its first gold medal in many moons), I was quite impressed. Not only is Chandler long and athletic, but unlike former Mavs' center Erick Dampier (sorry, old friend), he can actually catch the ball when you throw it to him around the basket. He can slam it, he can jam it, he can block shots and play defense. And unlike Brendan Haywood, Chandler realizes he is a center and actually plays down low around the basket, rather than standing around the top of the key looking lost on defense.

So while we missed out on the LeBron sweepstakes (and thank God, all the drama that will surely come with it), and didn't sign Carlos Boozer (my personal favorite free agent target), I do think Chandler will have a noticeable impact on the Mavericks this year, giving them a true viable scoring option up under the basket.

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As impressed as I am with Chandler, I still don't know if he is the final piece of the Mavericks' championship puzzle. With both Dirk and Kidd not getting any younger, the Mavs and their fans are all too aware that their window of opportunity is slowly sliding shut. Can the Mavericks finally finish what they started back in the 2005-2006 season and claim their championship? Only time will tell, and the clock has already begun ticking...