A little background first: I wasn't rooting for the mavs or the heat til game 5 when I realized that it would be good for the mavs to win since the heat are going to get better once the big 3 learn how to play together.

The question(and I don't mean any disrespect or hostility, I know how texags can get): Do yall think DeShawn Stevenson brings down the class of your team? From my perspective, the mavs have been very classy throughout these finals except for Stevenson, and obviously the heat have not been classy. I just think that when one of the non-superstars trash talks one of the better players in the league, even if his team wins, it's pathetic because he can't back it up even if his team can. I know Stevenson had a few good plays in the finals, but I believe the mavs could've won without him and with more class. Your thoughts?

I think Stevenson's ability to play defense on Wade and James and handle the switches on defense was a key factor actually. Plus, Stevenson hit some key 3-pointers throughout the playoffs, and especially in the finals.

[This message has been edited by Coppell97 (edited 6/13/2011 7:59p).]

I think Stevenson is definitely a thug.

That being said, he (along with Chandler and Butler) helped bring a toughness to the team that had been lacking. Regardless of If he brings down our class, we won the championship so I doubt many Mavs fans care. I know I don't.

It's not like we had a team full of thugs that we can't be proud of.

Every team has someone that everyone hates. The spurs needed what other teams and fans hated in Bruce Bowen. I thought he was a punk, but the spurs loved the guy. You need some toughness. I'd take Stevenson on my team any day for what he brings defensively.

Errybody need a crazy guy. As long as you only have one it's okay. Don't tell me Rockets fans didn't appreciate Maxwell that first championship

Apparently Stevenson and Lebron had a "feud" going back to Stevenson's Wizards days. Obviously Stevenson isn't near the same class of player that Lebron is, but if he was able to mess up his mental state of mind even a little bit for the series (and it seems like he did) I can tolerate the class degradation.

Not to mention he played great D, and knocked down over half his 3's if I recall correctly. He played a huge role in the Finals.

He's not a "thug", thugs are thugs on and off the field. Too many sensitive sports fans now, some players just happen to play with their emotions on their sleeves, that's not a thug.

Yeah, he's a thug but he played awesome this finals.

He played his role perfectly. 2-4 threes a night and awesome defense.

He really only made a couple of bad comments in the finals and that was it. Lebron and DWade were acting though...he was just calling it like it is.

Lets not forget his ongoing spat with LeBron from his days with the Wizards. So for him this was probably a little sweeter.

Did he need to say some of that crap? No he could have just taken the high road.

That said he brings a bit of crazy that a team needs. Not to mention he's a big team guy. Never complains about his role just goes out and does what he needs to do to help the team win. If he was a cancer tearing the locker room up that would be one thing. But he fits in great with the team and gives the Mavs an edgy side that they didn't have in the past.

Lebron won the war with Stevenson in Washington, though Stevenson won some battles. Stevenson clearly punked him in this series and won the war. And Marion. The 4th quarters for Lebron were like a home invasion.

Like Dirk getting punked in 2007. It was pathetic and frustrating that we even had to acknowledge Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson after 2007, but we did and Dirk took it hard. These guys shouldn't have had that much of an impact on him. Maybe they didn't, but that was the perception. Now Lebron has to acknowledge Stevenson and Marion even though he shouldn't have to. That's how basketball go when you're ringless.

Jesus you people judge a book by its cover. Stevenson is not even close to a thug. The guy does not get in trouble of the court nor does he partake in the Dallas nightlife at all. Just because he has tattoos does not make him a thug.

Stevinson definitely has some class issues, but that's any team in the world.

It's not like he kicks players in the face or anything in that realm of thugness.

http://www.wesh.com/news/13929862/detail.html

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/news/2001/06/20/stevenson_admission_ap/

I mean... I appreciate what the guy did on the court for the Mavs. He has been a good player, and he hasn't gotten in trouble in quite awhile (good for him, maybe he has changed). But if raping a 14 year old girl and getting people shot up in your house isn't "thugish" then what is?

Not to mention he has Abraham Lincoln tattooed on his neck.

Im a DeShawn fan.

We just won the Ship and he played a huge role in the Finals with his defense, attitude and timely threes.

And to think...he was just a salary dump in the Josh Howard/Caron Butler trade.

[This message has been edited by Kellso (edited 6/14/2011 9:15a).]

Everyone does need a crazy thug on their team. Even the Rockets had Vernon Maxwell whenever they won their championships.

It seems like he only started talking trash in the media and on the court when the Finals started. I'm wondering if he just really hates Lebron. Am I missing some antics from earlier in the season/playoffs?

If you go back and read (or better yet, listen) to his responses to the questions he was being asked about LeBron, his responses weren't as big of a deal as the media made them out to be when you look at them in context. He was responding rather honestly about LeBron "checking out" after game 4, and quite frankly was 100% accurate.

About the worst thing he said was how the Heat were "classless" (ironic, I know) after they won game 6; mainly in response to the whole coughing shirade Wade and LBJ put on over Dirk's sickness. Until...

As others have said, every team needs "that guy." The benefits he provided more than outweigh what PR damage his comments might do. The defense played by Stevenson, Chandler and Marion is the second biggest reason (behind Dirk) that the Mavs won the title.

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The defense played by Stevenson, Chandler and Marion is the second biggest reason (behind Dirk) that the Mavs won the title.

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It really is.

Look at our starting lineup.

4 of the 5 are much better defensively then they are on offense.

Kidd
Stevenson
Marion
Dirk
Chandler

Mavs had the reputation as the nice guys that wouldn't say a peep to anyone and would let people push them around for a long time. That changed in the last 12-18 months, and I think it's because of Stevenson, Marion, and Chandler.

So in a way, I think that the Mavs needed Stevenson's personality. Sometimes I grit my teeth at what he does, and no doubt I would not like the guy if I were not a Mavs fan. That being said, his defense and 3-point shooting were components of the Mavs success along with his attitude.

Don't care.

I don't think this would be portrayed as badly if Dirk's name wasn't so close to Dick.

What MW03 said +1

What MW03 said.

ok thanks yall, definitely understand the point, and looking back at a lot of the championship teams, they usually all have at least one person with this personality

He never seemed to be out of control or a lose cannon on the court. That's what made Stevenson a successful goon in this series.

Big difference between a thug and a guy that gets under the other teams skin by talking.

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if raping a 14 year old girl and getting people shot up in your house isn't "thugish" then what is?

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I'm definitely not saying sex with a 14 year old is okay, but let's not pretend that consensual sex between a 20 year old and 14 year old = rape. And I'm not sure why you think he got "people shot up."

Buddy of mine just texted me and said DeShawn got arrested for PI last night...

Somewhat relevant.

Deshawn mad that Jet is hogging all the Vernon Maxwell comparisons.

Great view of Abraham Lincoln



[This message has been edited by InternetFan02 (edited 6/15/2011 11:05a).]

That boy is a tuurrrrrable knucklehead

On June 12th: Daniel Tosh posted this on twitter

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"ok... 3 hours!! the over / under line for how long until deshawn stevenson gets arrested."

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LOL

[This message has been edited by fightinags2013 (edited 6/15/2011 11:31a).]

Okay the real question: over/under 3 offseason arrests for Stevenson? He's already got one, so i've gotta say over.