'The Custodian' Sweeps Up His First Championship Ring

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Brian Cardinal is often the butt of jokes in the basketball world. Known as 'The Custodian,' the blindingly-white, bald-headed, fan-favorite power forward of the world champion Dallas Mavericks looks the part of a graduate of the college of janitorial arts and habitual garbage-time dweller.

A product of Purdue, his early professional career was defined by his beefy shooting percentage from beyond the arc and his relentless hustle. But in the 2004 offseason, he signed a six-year, $37 million deal with the Memphis Grizzlies, a ludicrous contract for a slow, white benchwarmer whose strengths were his one-dimensional offensive skills and diving after loose balls. Cardinal's contract was used as fodder by critics of the unsustainable financial system of the NBA. In the 2009-2010 season, Cardinal was traded to the Knicks for Darko Milicic and cash, a meaningless transaction at the time. 'The Custodian' ended up making slightly over 6 million dollars that season and played in only 29 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging less than 10 minutes per game. In 2010-2011, Cardinal received modest playing time when he was picked up as filler for the Mavs roster in the wake of an injury to Dirk Nowitzki.

Now, I'm not trying to suggest that Brian Cardinal was the driving force of the Mavs championship win, but I will say that he looked more the part of teammate than someone like Adam Morrison, who sat on the sidelines throughout the Lakers' two championship runs.

His play in the NBA Finals earned him a leg-up in comparison to the jabronies of past championship teams. Cardinal made the most of the playing time he got. After seeing the court a total of seven minutes in the first three playoff series and only one minute in the first three games of the Finals, Cardinal notched 29 minutes in the last three games, all Dallas wins. 'The Custodian' threw his body all over the court, drew charges, drained the occasional three, and provided Dirk with much-needed rest when he needed it. In a critical shift of momentum in Game 4, Cardinal threw his body in the lane to draw a charge against Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat; although he was called for the blocking foul, Wade was hobbled for the rest of the game, suffering a hip pointer during the collision.

'The Custodian' has become more than just an injury replacement. His persona embodies something larger than a 'roster filler'. He's the stereotypical white guy in a black league: can't jump, has no driving ability, gets dunked on frequently, and can't dance. The fans love him for that; he's the designated jabroni. And best of all, he's accepted that. Players like Cardinal and the Chicago Bulls' Brian Scalabrine are a warped relic of the NBA's past: filling out benches with white players to appease white fanbases. The primary reason for having these players is no longer racially motivated (although some could argue that it is), but a noticeable emphasis is placed on their ability to generate positive team chemistry and act as a type of 'mascot' for fans.

From the Palm Beach Post a week ago, on getting the call from Head Coach Rick Carlisle:

"He yells, 'Cardinal!' and I reach for a towel," Cardinal said Saturday before practice at AmericanAirlines Arena. "I thought somebody kicked over some water or something."

"Who would have thunk?" Cardinal said of playing more than a mop-up role.

Brian Cardinal provides hope for jabronies everywhere: escaping expectations is possible if you just know your role.

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Dean Karoliszyn is the Coeditor-in-Chief and cofounder of Jabroni Free Sports.