Ramsey: Nene finally realizes dividends

Oh, the troubles Nene has seen.

He has endured testicular cancer and a severe right knee injury. He survived the 2002-2003 season as a rookie for the Denver Nuggets, one of the worst teams in NBA history.

Yet all those troubles only serve to brighten this moment. No one on the Nuggets has suffered more than Nene. And no one more deserves to cherish these good times.

"I feel wonderful," Nene said a few minutes after the Nuggets completed stomping the New Orleans Hornets.

He has reason for his jubilance. The Nuggets ransacked the Hornets, seized attention of the state and offered a statement to the rest of the NBA.

It's amazing Nene is part of the show. As late as February 2008, he was undergoing chemotherapy. During training camp, his lower stomach burned and he battled for breath when he exercised too intensely.

Nene had always been about promise, about tomorrow, and it looked as if he never would make good on his promises. He had missed 200 games in his six-season career.

For a man who bears a strong resemblance to a mountain - he's nearly 7-foot and built like a linebacker - Nene was surprisingly prone to injury.

But he carried all his scars to a superb season, averaging 14.6 points, shooting 60 percent and played stifling defense. He missed only four games.

Nene hardly broke a sweat during the Hornets series. He averaged nine points and watched Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups and J.R. Smith shred the hapless Hornets.

Here's a prediction: The Dallas Mavericks will stalk Anthony, Billups and Smith, which will slow the trio. That means Nene will be asked to increase his offensive production. Nene could emerge as a key player, maybe the key player, in this second-round series.

He's ready to deliver.

Nene is a spiritual man who doesn't hesitate to connect his faith to his game. Prior to the season, Nene told me he wasn't worried about his tattered body's ability to withstand the terrors of a long NBA season.

"My God has made me strong," Nene said. "My Jesus has made me strong."

This is a wild time for NBA players. Stands are packed with adoring/hostile fans. The sports nation is watching. The stakes are massive every night.

Nene still talks his same language. On Wednesday night, he chatted several minutes with a media horde and never mentioned the Mavericks' Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Kidd by name.

Instead, he talked about God and basketball. He said he avoided despondency during his struggles because he clung to his faith.

"You know," Nene said in his sing-song voice, "I just wait for my time and now is our time. God gives us this opportunity to us and now we need to play hard and play together and stay together."

Nene stood in a corner of the Nuggets locker room, and he could see over the reporters who crowded around him. It was a strange sight.

The Nuggets had taken five straight first-round playoff exits, and now in their moment of triumph no one bothered to rejoice. You get the feeling this edition of the Nuggets expects much more than one playoff triumph.

Someone asked Nene if he planned to celebrate, and he smiled. Smiling is Nene's reaction to almost everything.

"I'm going to pray to my Lord to give me inspiration and give me strength," said the man who has suffered so much. "I feel blessed, man. My time is now."