'Zards Win!!

I'm up way past my bedtime for the second time this week after watching another ridiculously exciting Wizards basketball game from the West coast. This time, they ended the Phoenix Suns' 15 game winning streak in overtime, 141 -136. Earlier this week they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers and the evil Kobe Bryant 146-141 in overtime. For those unfamiliar with NBA basketball, these are very high scores. Gilbert Arenas scored 60 points against the Lakers and followed that up with 54 tonight against the Suns.
I have been attending Wizards/Bullets games since 1983 when I moved to the Washington area. Most of the years have been mediocre both in terms of the team's record and in the quality of the viewing experience. 2 years stood out as very enjoyable. The first was 1988-1989 when an undermanned Bullets team nearly made the playoffs. The next was 1995-1996 when Juwann Howard nearly led a depleted Bullets team to the playoffs, falling just short. Interesting that in my most enjoyable years, we didn't even make the playoffs. Most of the other years have not been as fun. Even the 2 years of the Michael Jordan comeback was a disappointment.
However, the past 2 and a half years of Wizards basketball has absolutely been a blast. The team has flaws and receives an awful lot of criticism from their fans and the national media. However, they play a very exciting brand of basketball and have one of the most exciting and charismatic players in the game in Gilbert Arenas. Gilbert is a unique character but he is a great basketball player who is not afraid to step up when the pressure is the highest. He not only takes the important shots, but he makes them. He is easily the best player the team has had in my years watching them .
Anyway, I'm reluctant to invest so much emotionally in rooting for a team. Its only a game afterall. And if a win makes me feel this giddy, then a loss will probably be able to drag me down into depression. But gosh, its fun.