Finley critics quieted
Former Mav aids Spurs in Game 6
By Peter May, Globe Staff | May 21, 2006
http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...itics_quieted/
DALLAS -- Michael Finley knows this much: He no longer has to worry about being booed, jeered, even insulted in the city he called home for eight years.
There will be no more games for him in Dallas.
Finley, a convenient target for the American Airlines Center fans, had the last laugh against his former team in Game 6 Friday night. Despite merciless and unending booing, Finley dropped 16 points on the Mavericks to help the San Antonio Spurs take a 91-86 victory and force a Game 7 tomorrow night in San Antonio.
In 45 minutes, the kind of time he frequently logged playing for Don Nelson when he led the loop in minutes played, Finley was 6 of 10 from the field, including a huge 3-pointer with 2:45 left that snapped the game's final tie and gave the Spurs a lead they never relinquished. He also found time for 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and a big defensive play at the end on Dirk Nowitzki, all of it coming in a hostile environment.
''I think it's unfortunate, especially in a place where I felt I gave my all for eight years, blood and guts on the court, trying to be a model citizen in the community," Finley said. ''It's disheartening. My family can't even come to the games."
The booing reached pain threshold levels, mainly because the fans saw Finley as the reason for Jason Terry's suspension. Terry punched Finley in the groin near the end of Game 5 in San Antonio. Finley got hot and had to be restrained by teammates. Terry got suspended the next day and was duly missed in Game 6 when the Mavs needed a big shot.
''The rules state if you throw a punch, you miss a game," Finley said. ''Unfortunately for Jason, it happened. I consider him one of my better teammates from last year, so I was kind of surprised it happened. But in the heat of battle, anything can happen. I don't write the rules. I just play the game."
Mostly, he plays it well and with dignity. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich called the fan reaction in Dallas ''abominable" and that was before Game 6. After the game, Popovich said of Finley, ''He's such a class act, no matter what the cir stances, or what's going on. All season long, he's been one of our leaders. He comes here in a tough situation, plays hard, without malice, without showmanship. He just comes in and competes with class. I could not be more proud of him."
Finley has been a major factor in this series, getting more time (35.5 minutes a game) than he ever could have imagined. The Spurs have elected to go small in this series, and that means a lot more of Finley, who, in the last three games, has played 47, 44, and 45 minutes while averaging 14 points per on 57 percent shooting. He averaged 26.5 minutes a game this season.
During his eight years in Dallas, Finley was Mr. Maverick, one-third of the Big Three along with Nowitzki and Steve Nash. He helped Dallas to the 2003 Western Conference finals. But he turned 33 in March, and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban decided to release Finley last summer to save money. While Dallas still had to pay Finley's exorbitant contract ($51 million for this season and two more), by releasing him, Cuban would see a substantial savings in luxury tax money.
In other words, Finley didn't leave Dallas. Dallas left Finley.
''I'm hearing things like 'traitor,' " he said. ''I'm not a traitor. The Mavs got rid of me. I'm hearing things like 'whiner.' I didn't whine. I got hit. I thought I did a lot of things for this team and this community, but I guess it doesn't matter."
''I'm hearing things like 'traitor,' " he said. ''I'm not a traitor. The Mavs got rid of me. I'm hearing things like 'whiner.' I didn't whine. I got hit. I thought I did a lot of things for this team and this community, but I guess it doesn't matter."Finley is a better fit for the Spurs anyways.
A class act all the way. What he has to endure because of a couple of jackasses is totally unfair.
Glad that he chose the Spurs to play for this season and I'm glad that he is just another consummate professional doing his job for the silver and black.
The more I watch Finley from afar the more I realize he is a whiny ass that deserved that hit from Terry. That suspension was worth it to see Finley start whine like he always does. I'm glad he got booed. I guess with blinders on I didn't realize that when he played for Dallas.
mavs fans have never won anything and with an owner like cuban, they have no model by which to follow. you really cant blame them, like you cant blame sheep for being stupid enough to walk into the grinder.
It never ends with these guys... a total bunch of jackasses. They deserve Cuban.
I am so glad to have Finley, he now has a home where he can be appreciated for his efforts and not be afraid to have his family go to his games.
Finley, I salute ya bud.
This is just sad, a player who played 8 years on a team, was nothing but the best teammate and citizen. But now that your favourite team has turned its back on him and released him, he is a whiny ass .
This is probably just bait, but to consider saying something like this is really as low as you can probably get as a sports fan.
Mavsfan i remember when that hole of a team you love so much had a three headed monster called Jason Kidd, Jamal Mashburn and Jim Jackson and the head coach was Quinn Buckner.
It wasn't too long ago that your pathetic squad started making a regular appearance into the playoff picture.
Keep this in mind, Finley was one of three players that kept that crap laden team of no defense minded wannabe NBA stars going.
Your owner shows exactly why Steve Nash is a two-time MVP and why Finley will get a ring; because Cuban has no class and fans like you don't know about being loyal to the players that helped your sorry ass team from being the loveable losers.
Once again the Mavericks will get their asses handed to them by the Spurs and once again that team will be saying, 'What if".
Your comments show exactly why Finley deserves to get a ring. Even though AJ is ya'll's head coach, when the Spurs retire his number, it will be because he meant so much for the Spurs organization.
Michael Finley was your city's "David Robinson". He was ambassador of what it was to have a guy who did everything right both on and off the court.
Finley doesn't deserve to even be considered a Mavericks player now. When the Spurs sends your sorry ass team back up to that Podunk, high crime ridden infested city called Big D, I hope Finley has dropped a three Robert Horry style and gets flat out gangstafied in his actions. I hope he dunks on Punk Notorious with the kind of thunder that would make Daryl Dawkins proud.
Bottom line…Finley made the right choice for his basketball career because he's a winner both on and off the court.
For the record, this article came from a reporter in BOSTON, if you (can) read, no whining was done whatsoever but mere observation of the disgusting actions of the AAC fans and Mavs management. All Finley does is play the game. From what I understand, also, he was a fantastic ambassador of the Mavs to the Dallas community. Nice to start seeing national coverage of this travesty.
Nice way to show your appreciation Mavs fans.
I'd like to know how it was Finley's fault Jason Terry was suspended. You throw a punch, you get suspended; that's been in the NBA rulebook for YEARS! If anyone's to blame for the suspension, it's Jason Terry, himself. He broke the rule, he faced the consequences; Mavs fans, give me about 500 good reasons that Jason Terry's actions should have had NO consequences. Remember, fist closed + contact with another body = punch. Simple as that. Rulebook states that if you punch someone, you get suspended. And why blame Finley for the suspension when he's the one who got punched? Why blame him when he didn't even write the league's rulebook? Why blame him when he didn't even punch a damn person? Why blame him when you all can't even prove whether or not he lobbied for Terry's suspension the way Ray Allen bragged about doing when Bruce Bowen got fined?
If anybody's whining, it's you and your damn team, Mavs fans. Not us, not Finley...it's you.
Notice how all of a sudden we have run Mavs' troll out of here?
What a classless loser. He gotta be on Mark Cuban's payroll.
mav fans might be made because finely provoked terry
sort of same way danny ferry can get people to react
Were you glad when he stuck it to you with that corner three?
Fins trash.
Nash's trash.
Get ready Dirk.
Heh...still not an excuse, though...as Finley was rushing to try and force a jump-ball the same way Manu did. If I'm not mistaken, that's part of the game, so Terry should've just dealt with it and kept his fists to himself, just like the Mavs fans should just gracefully deal with the suspension, as he was suspended according to the league's rule book.
PLEASE, IF IT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE OTHER WAY AROUND (FINLEY HITTING TERRY), YOUR WHINEY ASS WOULD HAVE BEEN DEMANDING HE BIT SUSPENDED. SO SHUT THE F*** UP!
this mavsfan speak like 1000% stupid HE IS.........UR REALLY SUCK DOWN.....HAHAHAHA! FUNNY!
Low Head>>> Mavsfan>>>>moronic Asshole! Hahahahaha!
The more I watch Finley from afar the more I realize he is a whiny ass that deserved that hit from Terry. That suspension was worth it to see Finley start whine like he always does. I'm glad he got booed. I guess with blinders on I didn't realize that when he played for Dallas
How exactly, is Finley whining?
By saying hes not a traitor?
Ive got a pull a princess bride
"You keep saying traitor, and whiner, I dont believe you know the true definition of that word"
Emotional Mavsfan, Huhuhuhu!hope I Will Hear From You After Spurs Win Game 7......
I'm a huge Dallas Mavericks fan and I adore Mike Finley. Of course, I don't agree with everything Mr. Moore says above. But I do agree that Mavs fans should appreciate what Fin did for the franchise. I've been a season-ticket holder for many years, and I was saddened to witness the booing of Fin-dawg over the last few playoff games. He deserves much better. Dirk's advice to "boo him" was tongue-in-cheek. Cuban, on the other hand, is an immature asshole not infrequently. Cuban has done a lot to turn this franchise around, and I also believe he has improved aspects of the league. But he sometimes acts like the most childish of fans, which does not represent the franchise well publicly. In this instance, Cuban's childish behavior fanned the flames of what is probably now an irrevocable break between Finley and Mavs' fans as a group. Fin inevitably would have been booed by many fans just for being in the wrong place at the wrong time when Terry lost his cool, but Cuban made the situation worse.
I write only to let you Spurs fans know that not all Mavs' fans are quite as immature as the owner, and many of us do remember Fin very fondly.
i can't wait til we win game 7! Finley would be sick if we lost to the mavs... i think he will take game 7 in his hands and carry the team... and i agree he is a class act... made a good impression on me... and these mavs fans are killing me... being fairlyl new to the forum... what happens when they lose... do these fans still hang around and bash? Cuz that seems like a complete waste of free time to me... so, here's to a good rest of the playoffs w/ positive criticism etc...
I like what Mark Cuban has said about all this, we are booing michael finley the player, not michael finley the person.
If I saw him walking down the street I would trying to get a picture or an autograph with him. He was cheered greatly his first 2 games back, but it's the playoffs now and he is on the opposing team. Was he expecting to get cheered again?
im sick of u es grouping all mavericks fans together just because some people are re ed. Finley is appreciated by true mavericks fans but for now he is the enemy. Finley has been my favorite player since he came to the mavs and it was very hard to see him go. So take that and shove it up ur ass.
I am very glad to read this, and hopefully you post more, would love to conversate with some Mavs fans that are as intelligent as Pistons fans.I write only to let you Spurs fans know that not all Mavs' fans are quite as immature as the owner, and many of us do remember Fin very fondly.
Thank you! I was wondering what happened to my Mav fans. I am an old fan from Blackman & Harper days. I dont remember the fans being this way and was shocked. I have since fallen in love with Spurs due to the team and fan solidarity and sense of team and have been a long time Spurs fan.
I still have friends who are Mav fans and this is a very touchy subject to them, they are embarrassed by Cuban, but from what i saw on the TV, they might be in the minority. Course they are all class acts and would never participate in that garbage.
My faith in mav fans may yet be restored.
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