Being that cool with your competition isn't as compelling as conflict. Maybe it has to be called "The War on Terrorism" to get you to read about it. There's a reason why the parody calling the Phoenix-Dallas series last spring the "Brokeback Playoffs" has gotten way more viewings on YouTube.com than the hilarious real-life footage of Nash and Nowitzki mockingly serenading their friend Simon in a duet.

The run of "Friends" as TV's dominant show is over, but let's not forget how good it was. Just on Sunday, Nowitzki's teammate, Devean George, came back to face his Lakers friends, and the funniest thing to see was Bryant's wide-eyed, bemused look directed at George after getting him into falling for Bryant's patented pump fake. (Luke Walton's grin on the bench upon hearing George booed by Lakers fans was next best.)

But the transcendent aspect of Nash and Nowitzki is how great they've become only by separating — so that each has had to accept total leadership responsibility for his team. That is exactly how the world works: Only by daring to break out of your comfort zone can you stretch your limits and do what you couldn't before.

And it was a comfort zone for Nash in Dallas with the team focused on Nowitzki. When the Suns offered more money and more years on a free-agent contract in '04, Nash still went back to the Mavericks in hopes they would want him to stay.

Yet Nash ultimately had the vision to see that if Phoenix was offering the bigger contract, it also was offering the greater opportunity.

Nowitzki wasn't mad at Nash for leaving; he was mad at the Mavericks' front office for not understanding that doubting Nash's age and health would only motivate him. And the very next season Nash became the oldest NBA MVP at age 31.

With Jason Terry at guard in place of Nash — and with Nowitzki maturing into his own man instead of the awkward foreigner being told by Nash what to wear — the Mavericks improved, too, to the point that they nearly won the NBA Finals last season.

This season, Nowitzki is on track to win the title and the MVP trophy, and Nash might be the only one who can stop him on either count.

So it should be a great game when they face off Wednesday night in Dallas.

Or can it not be a great game if no one is trying to kill each other?

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