Finley finally reaches the Finals: By David Moore / DMN - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

V2M · 06-02-2007, 12:22 AM

Finley finally reaches the Finals

01:13 AM CDT on Friday, June 1, 2007
David Moore
Dallas Morning News

This is what Michael Finley wanted.

Sure, he would have preferred to make it to the Finals alongside good friends Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. That's something the Big Three once dreamed of doing when they were in Dallas. But he'll take this.

After years of propping up some dreadful Mavericks teams, after his unceremonious departure and nearly 1,000 NBA games, Finley has the chance to win a championship.

The realization began to sink in moments after San Antonio eliminated Utah in the Western Conference Finals. Finley couldn't suppress a smile as he tried to explain his gratification to the reporters crowded around his locker. Seconds earlier, on the podium outside the Spurs' locker room, guard Tony Parker described Finley's deep disappointment in losing to the Mavericks in the second round last season.

Parker and Manu Ginobili have already won two titles. Tim Duncan has three. Robert Horry is working on No. 7. Yet much of their joy in making it back to the Finals was to present Finley with his first trip.

"I still haven't gotten there yet," Finley said, tapping the brakes on his emotions. "From a playoff standpoint, I remember in Dallas when we beat Utah and came back from a 0-2 deficit, that felt like winning the Finals for me.

"From that standpoint, I know I still have a long way to go. We still have four more wins to try to get it. Hopefully after that, it can be an overwhelming feeling."

It has to be better than what Finley was feeling this time last season.

The guard left the floor without talking to his former teammates when the Mavericks eliminated the Spurs in a Game 7. He didn't talk to the media that night either.

But the next day, Finley was the only San Antonio player to talk to the media. He also made it a point to congratulate the Mavericks by phone or text message.

So far, the only Mavericks player Finley has heard from in this playoff run is Nowitzki. The league's MVP sent a text message after San Antonio beat Utah in Game 4 to wish him luck in his search for that elusive championship. Nash did the same after the Spurs eliminated the Phoenix Suns in the second round.

Finley regards both as life-long friends.

"I mean, this basketball thing is going to end one day," Finley said. "I feel my friendship with Dirk and Steve will never end.

"Despite wins, losses, trophies or no trophies, they will always be two of my good friends. ... In a perfect world, we would have liked to have enjoyed this together. But the world is not perfect and this league is a business."

Business led the Mavericks to dump Finley in the summer of 2005. An amnesty clause in the collective bargaining agreement gave owner Mark Cuban a get-out-of-jail card that he played to escape the luxury tax implications of the veteran's contract.

But money wasn't the only reason behind Finley's departure. Finley is a jump shooter. Coach Avery Johnson wants his perimeter players to put the ball on the floor and attack the basket.

It wasn't a good fit. The Mavericks were also concerned that Finley, a starter for his eight-and-a-half seasons in Dallas, would balk if asked to come off the bench.

Finley has come off the bench for all but 34 of his 159 regular season games with San Antonio over the last two seasons. But he has started during the Spurs' post-season run and played well, averaging 13.1 points and 3.1 rebounds.

He's not just along for the ride.

"It's really not about starting and minutes and all those individual things," Finley said. "I think a lot of people blew that out of proportion when I was in Dallas. I tried to be the consummate team player and it might have cost me.

"Here, I can be a team player, do whatever it takes for the team to win whether it's a starter, coming off the bench or being a cheerleader on the bench. I'm going to do whatever it takes. The team concept has been one that has been very gratifying for me. I'm just happy to be a part of it."

Finley concedes that watching the Mavericks reach the Finals before him last season was difficult. But that was only part of it.

He believes the Mavericks deserved to make the Finals. What upset Finley, and the rest of the Spurs, was that they let an opportunity slip away.

This opportunity hasn't slipped away. Finley intends to rest for a few days, watch Detroit and Cleveland battle it out in the East and prepare for what lies ahead.

"I'm just going to ride this roller coaster, so to speak, and look to these guys for any advice I may need on and off the court," Finley said of the trip he always hoped to make with Nowitzki and Nash. "Once the ball tips up in the Finals, I'll be ready."

LONG ROAD
Michael Finley will end the second-longest active streak of playoff games played without reaching the Finals. It took Dirk Nowitzki 70 games to reach the Finals. The top three active streaks:

97 Steve Nash

85 Michael Finley

81 P.J. Brown

chumdawg · 06-02-2007, 12:27 AM

He brought a lot of class to the franchise when he was here. God bless ya, Fin.

dude1394 · 06-02-2007, 01:04 AM

Nice thread...couldn't happen to a classier sportsman.

nashtymavsfan13 · 06-02-2007, 01:14 AM

Couldn't happen to someone more deserving, I'm really happy for him.

Flacolaco · 06-02-2007, 01:26 AM

Rings:

Finley: 1
Nash: 0
Dirk: 0

capitalcity · 06-02-2007, 02:05 AM

Mike Finley can suck it.

alby · 06-02-2007, 03:48 AM

Dirk owns.

MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs · 06-02-2007, 10:19 AM

And he's gonna lose to Lebron and the Finley curse will continue.

u2sarajevo · 06-02-2007, 10:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs

And he's gonna lose to Lebron and the Finley curse will continue.

I'm pretty confident you are wrong.

What Finley curse? No idea what that's about.

DubOverdose · 06-02-2007, 11:00 AM

I have a feeling that the Cavs will make it out of the east (eventhough Deeeeetroit is the better team). If the Cavs make it to the Finals, I don't see the L letting LeBron lose. I just hope whatever happens in the Finals looks nothing like last year.

alby · 06-02-2007, 11:19 AM

That would suck if we saw another episode like last year's.
I hate the Spurs and I don't want to see them raise ANOTHER banner to the rafters, especially without even playing us this year in the playoffs. But, I'm not going to compromise the game and have the L dictate the Finals for Lebron to win.

fluid.forty.one · 06-02-2007, 11:38 AM

Congrats to finley but... Go Cavs!

mqywaaah · 06-02-2007, 12:09 PM

I want nothing the best for Mike... too bad he's with the Spurs. So.... Go Cavs!
Win one for me on my birthday!

alby · 06-02-2007, 12:33 PM

^ happy birthday

mqywaaah · 06-03-2007, 01:11 AM

Thanks alby...

nah-vit-ski · 06-03-2007, 01:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Flacolaco

Rings:

Finley: 1
Nash: 0
Dirk: 0

why, is finley married or something?

#1MavsFan · 06-03-2007, 04:24 AM

Good for Finley, he was one of the biggest reasons for the mavs turnaround this century and his jersey will hang in the rafters one day at the aac.

dude1394 · 06-03-2007, 09:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nah-vit-ski

why, is finley married or something?

Actually I think I read that he was?

Dtownsfinest · 06-03-2007, 01:31 PM

Yea during the Spurs and Jazz game they said Finley got married this year so yea Fin did get a "ring" this year.

Great article. Wish Fin was still here but things are going pretty well for him in SA. Hopefully he gets his ring this year. Its deserving.

Dtownsfinest · 06-03-2007, 01:33 PM

Quote:

And he's gonna lose to Lebron and the Finley curse will continue.

What curse? And i'd put money that there's no way in hell the Spurs lose to the Cavs. They aren't the Pistons. Hell I think the Jazz are a better team than the Cavs.

Five-ofan · 06-03-2007, 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nah-vit-ski

why, is finley married or something?

thats a hell of a line but i really do hope fin wins it.

nah-vit-ski · 06-03-2007, 10:54 PM

^^Thanks for that. Everybody seems to think Spurs in 5 or 6, book it, Timmy wins his fourth Championship, but I wouldn't be suprised as most people if the Cavs win.

However, I'm going on my boy Fin Dawg on this one.

MFFL · 06-05-2007, 08:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MavsWiLLHaVeRinGs

And he's gonna lose to Lebron and the Finley curse will continue.

I neg rep this idiot because he said there is a Finley curse and he gets all pissy. Sends me a pm saying "fuck you" and tells me that I am ABUSING the feedback system. Then he neg reps me and tells me it is because he doesn't deserve neg rep and he is returning the favor. If the moron would respond and explain WHAT a Finley curse is then maybe he'll get a little respect. Instead he acts like a 12 year old.

And people wonder why the long time posters aren't hanging around as much. Little pissants like this are infesting the board.

MFFL · 06-05-2007, 08:49 AM

Oh and Finley definitely deserves a ring and hopefully he gets it this year.

Flacolaco · 06-05-2007, 08:55 AM

Finley has helped that evil flopping complaining team a lot this year, and he deserves it. I think I can be happy for him...I think.

Anyway, he's a second rate Mike around these parts. The best Mike already got a ring in '99.

Five-ofan · 06-05-2007, 08:46 PM

Honestly i see no reason for bitterness towards fin. I loved the guy for a long time. It seems incredibly stupid to start hating on him because of something out of his control(he got cut, he did not leave as a fa.) Im not trying to bash cuban but it was cubans decision for fin to leave. Not fins. I hate to see ginobili bowen and parker getting another ring but it will be worth it to see fin get one.

Knickfan · 06-06-2007, 09:51 AM

If not for FIN, I wouldn't have watched ONE MINUTE of their series against Utah or Denver. I don't like Duncan, Parker or Ginobli. I'm not saying they're not good because they are but Finley (to me anyway) has given that team a level of class that they didn't have in my eyes so I hope he does win. Part of me wants him to win to stick it to Cuban but I know what Cuban did was a business decision, I was just pissed that Finley wasn't going to end his career as a Maverick.

Stranger · 06-06-2007, 12:13 PM

From San-Antonio News Express:

Finley also said he received a call Monday from former Mavericks teammate Dirk Nowitzki. Asked if the league's MVP gave him any tips about playing in the Finals, Finley said, "He talked to me more as a friend than as a guy who has been to the Finals. He said to enjoy it. He said he's rooting for me, to get the ring, things like that."

alby · 06-06-2007, 01:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alby

Dirk owns.

ty · 06-10-2007, 04:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alby

=]

rmacomic · 06-10-2007, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MFFL

I neg rep this idiot because he said there is a Finley curse and he gets all pissy. Sends me a pm saying "fuck you" and tells me that I am ABUSING the feedback system. Then he neg reps me and tells me it is because he doesn't deserve neg rep and he is returning the favor. If the moron would respond and explain WHAT a Finley curse is then maybe he'll get a little respect. Instead he acts like a 12 year old.

And people wonder why the long time posters aren't hanging around as much. Little pissants like this are infesting the board.

I honestly think we lost this year due to the "mavswillhaverings" curse. Really, could your screename be any more of a jinx. Oh yeah, add a parade route to your signature, and there you have it....that joke stealing little...grumble, grumble...