The 'Fisties: Favorite Athlete
Truth be told, it's not that easy to choose our favorite Bay Area athlete these days. We don't think it's a stretch to say that twenty years from now, some barfly isn't going to be telling some young whippersnapper about how these were the good-ole-days . Hard to believe, but it was just three years ago when we could claim to being the center of it all. The Giants were in the Series and the Raiders in the Superbowl, the A's had the Big Three and were perennial contenders, the Niners hadn't fallen off the cliff into suckitude yet, and Stanford basketball was always a Top 10 presence. And today? Try this on for size-- the most exciting team in the Bay Area is your Golden State Warriors. As in, wha?
As for athletes, this area had some serious star power wattage-- Will the Thrill and Barry; the Giambi Brothers and the Big Three; the amazing Jerry Rice; Joe and Steve. But today, the wattage is considerably dimmer. Oh yes, we still have the biggest badass in the land, the Barrisimo, but he did miss most of last season with rickety knees. And then there's his tainted legacy and our well acknowledged mixed emotions towards the Big Fella.
Which leaves us with who? Crazy Crab? So, with all that to ponder, we give you our 2005 Favorite Athlete 'Fistie to (drum roll, please): Baron Davis.
Choosing Baron maybe obvious in some ways. He has, after all, made it so the Golden State Warriors actually were IN FIRST PLACE, something we thought we'd never, ever, write, ever. It's something so preposterous that it's right up there with "Kevin Federline Wins Nobel Peace Prize" in terms of sheer implausibility. Yet, it's now the Truth.
His effect on the team is obvious to anyone who looks at the record. Since trading for him, the Warriors are playing over .500 ball (18-10 last season, 12-6 so far this season for a little over .650 percentage). His 9.6 Assists per game is 2nd in the NBA, behind last year's MVP Steve Nash (someone who he is being favorably compared to this season), all with a strained hammy that's hindering his play and making him clock in less minutes than he normally should. In short, he has been nothing less than fantastic for a team not used to fantastic play. And yes, the team hasn't really played anyone that good right now or been tested, but baby steps, people, baby steps. After all, the Showtime Lakers weren't created in a day (well, they kind of were the day Magic was drafted, but you get our point).
But that's not the main reason why we're picking him because stats don't tell the full story. It's not even his kick-ass name. It's because in this era of hyped up High School kids, Diva-like WRs, and steroid pumping ballplayers, Davis is the anti-thesis of all this. He is by all accounts, a first class individual. And that's why he earns applause from us.
Let us recall that when he was first traded to the Warriors, he was happy about it. In fact, he was psyched. Which puts him above pretty much every other player who came here and spent their entire time here trying to figure out how to get traded. From day one, he came in, called himself the leader, and then lead. The team’s record with him isn't a testament to his skill-- he isn't a Kobe-like player who can dominate on his own-- but to his ability to make everyone better. Assists, after all, show selflessness as much as anything.
And then there's his work for Hurricane Relief, a cause he has made his own after playing on the New Orleans team and living there for awhile. Right now, he's selling those bracelet thingies that are all the rage with the kids today and donating money through his Baron Davis Foundation. And, in a game against his old team, the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets, Davis pledge $500 for each point he made (he made 17 points in total, worth $8500), something that was matched by the Warriors themselves. All in all, he has donated over $75,000 to Hurricane relief, including over $20,000 for money he won in Jeopardy. And yes, he won in Jeopardy? How can you not love him?
So with that, Baron, we salute you. Long may you run.
Let's just hope the winning the 'Fistie doesn't cause some SI cover jinx thing and he immediately pulls up lame the second this sucker is posted. If so, next year, we're totally choosing a Dodger.