TNT Making Too Much of Nowitzki Comments (By David Gentile)

In between games 1 and 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals, Dirk Nowitzki commented on the defense of the Denver Nuggets in game 1. "They really made me work for everything I got," Nowitzki said following the game. "They have a lot of good bodies they can throw at me. And they do a good job of rotating and staying down and playing physical." Nowitzki went on to discuss the talents of the individual Nuggets defenders.
In light of these comments, TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Chris Webber both scrutinized Nowitzki for praising Denver's defense. Their rationale was that players should not admit when an opponent can lock them down. This does not make sense to me, because professional athletes are often criticized for being extremely arrogant and overconfident in their abilities. I think it is refreshing to see an athlete like Dirk Nowitzki, one of the elite scorers in the NBA, commenting on his opponents in a positive manner. Players are admired when they praise their teammates for good play, so why should it be any different when they do the same for opponents? I believe this comment was simply the result of Nowitzki understanding how his opponents can stop him. Certainly his scoring statistics will show that his offensive mindset has not changed, and because of this, I believe TNT made too much of the comments.