Dirk Nowitzki, yet to play a game this season due to a prolonged recovery from ankle surgery last spring, means everything to this team and the city of Dallas.  As we’re all enthralled with rookie Luka Doncic and the development of Dennis Smith Jr., it’s sometimes easy to forget the the most legendary player in franchise history is still part of the team.

So far this season, we’ve been limited to appreciating his upgraded suit game while he watches games from the sideline.  Tuesday night, a somewhat unexpected individual reminded us to remember all we love about Dirk.

Dallas mayor Mike Rawlings honored Dirk Nowitzki with a key to the city during a halftime ceremony during Wednesday night’s game against the Brooklyn Nets.  Rawlings, the mayor of Dallas since about two weeks after the Mavericks hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy back in June 2011, was gushing over the future Hall of Famer.

“You’ve been a great citizen of Dallas. You have given back to the city of Dallas.  You have represented us all over the world,” Rawlings said before presenting Dirk with the key at halftime.  “You’re a hero to everyone.”

Prior to the game, the Mayor and Nowitzki addressed the media and the Big German was in peak comedic form.  He cracked joke after joke and had his trademark bunny teeth smile on full display.

One highlight was when the Mayor cautioned Dirk that getting a key to the city comes with nothing but “honor.”  No free parking or, as Nowitzki jokingly pondered, reduced property taxes.

Another highlight was when Mike Rawlings told a story about the night he was elected mayor back in June 2011.  He was out at a club and it happened to be the same one as where Dirk was out celebrating his 33rd birthday.  Nowitzki was quick to interject and summarize the night in three words:

“It was LIT!”

There were a lot of laughs, but there were just as many heartfelt moments when the 39 year-old Nowitzki reminded us of just how much he loves this city and the fans here who have embraced him since day number one of his up-and-down rookie campaign.

Dirk said that no matter when he retires, Dallas is and will continue to be home. "My work is far from done here. This is my city."

— Bobby Karalla (@bobbykaralla) November 22, 2018

In interviews over the last year or two, Nowitzki has begun to indicate he intends to keep his family here in Dallas because this is his “home.”  It hasn’t always been that way.  Sometime throughout his now twenty-plus years in Big D, Dirk has pushed himself from being a shy kid from Germany to a proud Dallas citizen that refers to the place as his city.

There will never be a Dallas/Fort Worth athlete who is connected with the city more than Nowitzki due to his longevity and level of success with the team.  While he continues to skate the fine line of giving away his plans for playing beyond this season, it’s always a good time to count your blessings as a sports fan and appreciate what Nowitzki has done for the city of Dallas.

While a return to game action may still be several weeks away, Wednesday night at the American Airlines Center was just the latest opportunity for Mavs fans to voice their love for the man who has given them so much on and off the court over the last two decades.