Starkey: Dellavedova eclipses MJ as greatest ever
One was built like a god, his legend launched on a shot that won the NCAA title. He captured six NBA Championships, averaged 30.1 points per game and pretty much went straight from his final game to the Hall of Fame.
The other is built like a character from “Dodgeball.” He hails from Australia, went to a small liberal arts college out west, has no rings (yet), no legendary shots and no chance at the Hall of Fame because his career average is 4.8 points per game. Sorry, 4.7.
Still, I see the endless comparisons between Michael Jordan and Matthew Dellavedova as perfectly valid, and I am here to settle the debate.
Dellavedova is the greatest basketball player of all-time.
There's no way Jordan, Magic, Bill Russell or anyone else carries this ravaged Cleveland Cavaliers team all the way through the playoffs to a 1-1 tie in the NBA Finals, the way Dellavedova has.
There's also no way Jordan locks down Steph Curry like ‘D'ellavedova did in Game 2, holding maybe the finest shooter in NBA history to 0 for 8 from the field (0 for 5 on 3-point attempts) with four turnovers.
Does MJ force the league MVP into an ugly air ball with the game on the line, the way the man they call “Delly” did in overtime Sunday?
I don't think so.
Each has a sidekick. Jordan had Scottie Pippen. Dellavedova has LeBron James, who put up some OK numbers in the first two games with 83 points, 24 rebounds and 17 assists. But look who rescued the Cavs when they were down by one with 10 seconds left in overtime. It wasn't James, who was busy going 2 for 12 in the fourth quarter and overtime.
No, no. It was Delly, who used every inch of his 6-foot-4 frame to outhustle Harrison Barnes for an impossible put-back attempt. Delly got fouled and shot-putted two clutch free throws to account for the winning points. Look for him to be more involved in the offense in Game 3 (you know what they say: The Delly's always open).
Nobody has to tell LeBron who stirs the Cavs' drink. When asked if the team bus would wait for Dellevedova after Game 2, which it failed to do after Game 1, he said, “I'm never going anywhere without Delly again.”
When he was in college at St. Mary's, Delly earned the nickname “Dellavedagger” for his clutch shooting. In 2013, he beat arch-rival BYU on a miraculous 3-pointer, similar to the one Tyler Ennis made against Pitt — a knee-in-the-air runner just past halfcourt as the buzzer sounded.
Look at that shot on YouTube. One of the comments beneath says of Dellavedova, “Love to see his teeth get knocked out!”
That's another reason to love this man: Everyone outside of Cleveland hates him. He's like the guy at the Y you want to punch right in the face — the guy with goggles and a knee brace who dives at your legs, sets blind picks, calls offensive fouls, breathes in your face, sweats on your head and starts to guard you, fullcourt, immediately after a made basket.
That's Delly, all right.
The greatest basketball player of all-time.
Joe Starkey co-hosts a show 2 to 6 p.m. weekdays on 93.7 FM. Reach him at jraystarkey@gmail.com.
