Jimmy Goldstein has been a jinx for Suns
DALLAS — If the Dallas Mavericks are going pull even with the Phoenix Suns in their best-of-7 Western Conference semifinal series, they’re probably going to have to do it without their secret weapon.
(No, not the refs.)
Superfan James Goldstein, who was sitting courtside in Dallas when the Mavs wrecked the Suns in Game 3, doesn’t plan to be in attendance Sunday. That’s bad news for Dallas.
“I’ve seen them play four playoff games this year,” Goldstein said. “They’ve won three.”
Dallas has a chance to tie the series at 2-2 after a dominant performance Friday. The Suns couldn’t seem to make a basket and shot below 50 percent from the field for the first time this postseason.
It would be easy to blame the referees, but the Suns actually shot more free throws than Dallas.
It would be easy to credit the Mavericks, who played with a desperate energy and aggressive defense, but there’s no fun in that.
Let’s blame the Suns loss on the “Jimmy jinx,” which I just made up.
The 82-year-old Goldstein has been a fixture of the NBA scene, sitting courtside with shoulder-length, blond hair flowing from under a leather hat so stylish it would make Crocodile Dundee say “crikey!”
“I’ve been doing this for 40 years,” Goldstein said. “I go to 100 games every year.”
It’s all about the arena experience; watching on TV just isn’t the same, he said.
“There’s a huge difference,” he said. “I can’t even describe how big the difference is.
“I can see everything that’s going on when I’m at the game. I can see who’s guarding who. I can see the plays develop. I can’t see that on TV.
“And, of course, the excitement and the intensity comes through so strong when I’m at the game.”
Goldstein grew up in Milwaukee and was there to see his hometown Bucks win the championship over the Suns last season.
“I’m a big fan of Giannis,” he said. He’s also a big fan of Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. Goldstein congratulated Kidd in the bowels of the arena after Dallas’s Game 3 win.
The admiration goes both ways. “Jimmy?” Kidd said. “He’s a legend.” Goldstein is a real estate tycoon, but his business card says “fashion,” “architecture” and “basketball.”
“That’s not how I made money,” he said. “That’s how I spent money.”
Goldstein calls Los Angeles home and has season tickets for the Lakers and Clippers.
“I’m a Clipper fan,” he said. “And an anti-Laker fan.”
But if Goldstein loves the Clippers, why is he bad luck for Suns guard Chris Paul?
“I don’t think I’m bad luck for Chris Paul,” Goldstein said. “I was there in Phoenix for Game 2.”
Fair point.
Still, Goldstein has been lucky for Luka this postseason, making it good news for the Suns that he doesn’t plan to come back to this series until Game 6 — if necessary.
If he is a secret weapon for Dallas, the Mavs are going to have to win a couple games without him.