Dirk Nowitzki was an 18-year old from Germany, when the Milwaukee Bucks drafted him in 1998 with the 9th pick, and traded him to the Dallas Mavericks for Robert “Tractor” Traylor. He was young, inexperienced, and extremely raw in terms of talent. Over the course of his 16 years with the Mavericks, Nowitzki is a 13-time NBA All-Star. He has made the All-NBA First Team four times, the Second Team five times, and the Third Team three times. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player back in 2006, and won the NBA Championship in 2011, along with Finals MVP.
“He’s one of the players I would allow my son to watch and pattern his game after.” – Shaquille O’Neal
He has proved to be a true staple in the Dallas community, and really made it his home. The city embraced him from the beginning, and Nowitzki never disappointed. He has been a true team player from the beginning, and won the hearts of MFFL’s everywhere. There is a special bond between Dirk and his MFFL minions. While other players have left their teams for more money or the opportunity to play in a “big three” of sorts, Dirk has always stayed true to his Mavericks roots. He has taken discounts to give Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson and the rest of the Mavericks front office financial flexibility to build a winner.
“Money isn’t something I play for. I want to compete. I want to win.” – Dirk Nowitzki
He has provided so many memorable moments in his time in Dallas, and we can only hope that as his career comes to an end in the next two or three years, that we get to soak in as many more as we possibly can.
So, why does this feel like an obituary? The Mavericks won last night and held off the early playoff exit, at least for a couple more days. We get to see Dirk Nowitzki play yet again in the playoffs, even it it could only be one more time. I watched the game last night and found myself enthralled by how truly remarkable it is to watch Mavericks playoff basketball played at its finest, and last night was just that. Since sending away Rajon Rondo after game 2, the Mavericks have found the proverbial groove in terms of offense.
While the Mavericks could very well win tomorrow night in Houston, they could also be packing up their locker rooms come Wednesday morning. The problem is we have no idea what our 2015-2016 Dallas Mavericks will look like on next years opening night. Look, the Mavericks finished in the 7th seed this season. What if the Mavericks overhaul their roster again and it doesn’t work? Could last night have been Nowitzki’s last playoff home game in Mavericks jersey? His career is coming to an end, and we should all embrace every opportunity to watch one of the true legends perform his craft, one legged fadeaway at a time.
It’s a painful reminder that the end is in sight. So, while I hope that the Mavericks can pull it off tomorrow night in Houston and bring it back to Big D for Game 6, it’s been a pleasure watching him these last couple of games. If I could give one piece of advice if you find yourself sitting in a seat at American Airlines Center on Thursday (When Game 6 would be), soak it all in. Don’t take anything he does for granted. When it’s all said and done, he will be one of the true legends this league has ever seen.
Embrace everything that Nowitzki stands for. Team player. A Winner. A Champion. An All-Time Great.
Credit: Jerome Miron – USA Today Sports
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