Happy Memorial Day!

Cheers to a great NBA finals.

Kurt Thomas Returns!

While the Miami Heat's triumphant comeback last night sealed a 2006 finals re-match with the Dallas Mavericks, the real and lasting story was Kurt Thomas and his epic return to the court. Thomas provided a much needed spark in his team's losing effort and as Steve Kerr aptly noted, added a new layer of scoring for the offensively challenged Chicago Bulls.

After sitting out the entire Eastern Conference Finals, Kurt Thomas was called upon due to the injury of Omer Asik. Thomas, a cagey-veteran and the second oldest player in the league, did not disappoint. His four points and eight rebounds in 18 minutes of play were vital to Chicago's success (you know, until they lost). The Bulls would have been cooked from tip-off without Kurt Thomas.

Kurt Thomas has had a long and storied career in the NBA. He's dominated for 15 years, battling in the paint and making a name for himself with nine different teams. Coach Thib needs to embark on some serious self-reflection for not playing Thomas more during this series. It almost certainly cost them a championship ring.

Happy Memorial Day, Kurt Thomas.

Who'd You Get?!: Reggie Miller, SkyBox (1990)

We at No Regard used to collect basketball cards. Convincing a parent to shuttle us and our friends to the local collector's shop was a consistently important victory. When we found out KMart was selling entire boxes for $20, we almost wore out our bike tires pedaling back and forth.

Now we've unearthed the cache, and the results are stunning. We've been reminded that players named Dino Radja and Wesley Person briefly and forcefully carved out steady roles for themselves in the league. We've been straight tickled by the goofy casual pics. And we've been touched and inspired by the relentless optimism of the copywriters. We hope you enjoy this odd time capsule, a Utopian angle from which to view the league, where everyone is the next somebody and context is pointless.

Back of the card after the jump.

In Cold Blood With A Toothpick

For a league in which the current trend seems to be all about budding young superstars, the Dallas Mavericks proved that age and cunning can still beat youth and vigor. Carried on the shoulders of one of the most remarkable individual shooting performances in conference finals history, the Mavs bested OKC 4-1, in a series that was more closely contested than its final scoreline.

It's obvious to point to Nowitzki's lights-out shooting as the main catalyst for success in Dallas this year, but Cuban's army received contributions from many different parties.

There was the ridiculously smart point-guard play from veteran Jason Kidd who, lost in all of this, has his third chance now to finally obtain the NBA's most precious jewelry. The inside presence of Tyson Chandler, whose passion for rebounding and defense compliment Dirk's offensive mastery to perfection. Jet Terry did what he's always done, hit shots and then spread his arms out like that of an airplane. Shawn Marion's resurgence, J.J. Barea's slicing penetration... the list goes on.

Up next for Big D is most likely the Miami Heat, who will provide an immense challenge. I'm tickled thinking about some of these matchups: Bron on Dirk, DeShawn on Bron, that crazy $5 bill tattoo on DeShawn, the ballsy Larry O'Brien trophy tattoo on Jet, Jet on Super Nintendo Chalmers, Super Nintendo Chalmers on J.J. Barea, J.J. Barea on Mike Bibby, Mike Bibby on Jason Kidd in the 2011 NBA Finals!

It should be a hell of a series, if for no other reason than we'll be seeing (barring history by the Chicago Bulls) the two best teams in the playoffs led by the two best players in the playoffs. While Dallas might feel somewhat satisfied knowing that many of the "experts" didn't even pick them to beat Portland in the first round, they know that right now second place will not satisfy the public. We need them to be more than an also-ran.

Shock the world, Dallas Mavericks.

Question of the Day

After a devastating game four loss, in which the young folks from OKC crumbled at the hands of the massive German Gentleman, the Thunder face elimination tonight. If they lose, like everyone kind of thinks they will, will this franchise recover and make it back to the Western finals next year? Or will the hangover from this collapse carryover to an unproductive season and haunt these guys for years to come?

NBA Middle Names: Mike Miller

We at No Regard spend a lot of time in our NBA knitting circles trying to figure out the human side of these players. Whether it's musing about their commutes to work, how much "Call of Duty" they play, or what their favorite snack food is, we like to remind ourselves that NBA players are nothing more than young men with enviable jobs. What better way to humanize our heroes than look up their middle names?

Michael Lloyd Miller

Who'd You Get?!: Allen Iverson, Fleer Ultra (1998)

We at No Regard used to collect basketball cards. Convincing a parent to shuttle us and our friends to the local collector's shop was a consistently important victory. When we found out KMart was selling entire boxes for $20, we almost wore out our bike tires pedaling back and forth.

Now we've unearthed the cache, and the results are stunning. We've been reminded that players named Dino Radja and Wesley Person briefly and forcefully carved out steady roles for themselves in the league. We've been straight tickled by the goofy casual pics. And we've been touched and inspired by the relentless optimism of the copywriters. We hope you enjoy this odd time capsule, a Utopian angle from which to view the league, where everyone is the next somebody and context is pointless. 

Back of the card after the jump.

Sometimes Picking The Right Guy To Root For Is Easy