C'mon LeBron!

I am not a racist. Honest. As they say (I am not immune to a good cliché), “some of my best friends” have been of an ilk not my own. However, I am a victim of my upbringing which included official propaganda of the “anti” sort that colors my emotional thinking to this day. For five years of my early childhood I was imprinted with unbridled hate for “Krauts” and “Japs.” Please excuse the epithets but, hey, they were the epithets of choice of my parents, teachers and the pure and good U.S.A. government at that time. They were our sworn enemies during World War II and despite current adult logic I still retain a residual cold heart for the citizens of these two countries. Not that I can’t have German and Japanese friends it’s just that, well, I guess I’m wrong; I really can’t have German or Japanese friends. My brain can forgive but my emotional core was scarred at a very young age and, being human, I can’t do anything about it. This rant is brought to you by the fact that:

I should be able to admire Dirk Nowitski, because he is possibly the best basketball player in the National (insert “World”) Basketball Association. But he is, all by himself, taking over the NBA Playoffs with his brilliant play and, damn his German hide, now beating up on LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the finals. So what do I turn to in my emotional reaction to his genius? That’s right, “that damned German” and “maybe we should put up a wall somewhere.”

So, c’mon, LeBron, c’mon c’mon; it’s for the red, white and blue this time and my embedded Third Reich righteousness is imperiled. If you win I’ll buy a replica of your jersey, I really will!



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Update June 12, 2011: In unaccented English Dirk Nowitzki graciously accepted his MVP award tonight after the Dallas Mavs won the NBA finals. You really have to hand it to the guy; he was tremendous. So maybe I'll buy a LeBron jersey next year. I think he has it in him to turn up the heat.