To ask a basketball fan what Dirk Nowitzki means to the Dallas Mavericks might be about equivalent to asking someone, what Michael Jordan meant to the game of basketball. The German is a living legend for the city of Dallas and its basketball fans, a status he has held for more than a decade now. So, what would a Mavericks player say when posed with the same question? For instance, Kyrie Irving?
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The Dallas Mavericks seemingly had no problems with the Atlanta Hawks, handing them a 95-109 loss at American Airlines Center (Dallas). After the game, Kyrie Irving sat down with reporters for a post-game press conference.
While addressing the media’s questions, one of the reporters mentioned seeing Kyrie Irving embrace Dirk Nowitzki and share a few words with him in the tunnel heading toward the locker room after the game. Apparently, this piqued his curiosity, and the reporter decided to ask for Irving’s views on the Dallas Mavericks legend.
“I think for Dallas in general, He created a culture of championship-winning and MVP-like performances. A lot of game-winners, playing with a lot of legends in the league…It helped build this franchise to be where it is today. Although it’s only one championship, a lot of franchises can’t say that.”
“The respect I have for him as a peer, and as a little brother, right? So, I look at Dirk as someone who I can always go to if I need some resources or advice. Just hearing about the quality of human being he is, how much he has influenced Luka and other guys that have come through here…The respect and the love that I have for him is unconditional. He set the standard here and he’s built a large legacy that other guys want to follow.”
Over the past few years, seeing players spend their entire careers with a single franchise, has become an uncommon sight to witness and Dirk Nowitzki may just have been one of its last bastions. Going through years of rebuilding and experimenting, only to lose in the controversial 2006 NBA Finals would frustrate any player into seeking a new destination for a fresh start. However, Nowitzki was a different breed altogether. He stuck around with Mark Cuban, the Mavericks front office and franchise, before ultimately fulfilling his promise of bringing a championship to the team.
It is often said that Nowitzki’s one championship with Dallas was worth more than LeBron James’ two championships with the Miami Heat. Granted, this is still a little bit of a hot take among basketball circles, but it only goes to show the immense respect fans from across the league have for the ‘German Terminator’.
Kyrie Irving and Luka lit up the Hawks with Dirk in attendance
Having dedicated his life’s work to the Dallas Mavericks franchise, it is always a delight for fans to see Dirk Nowitzki come to games, be present in the stands, and cheer on the next generation. This is exactly what the entire American Airlines Center got to witness today.
With the franchise legend and Hall of Famer in attendance, it was a safe bet to assume the Mavericks were in no mood to drop this game today. As a result, both the Mavericks stars had 20+ point games while holding all Hawks players to under 20-point performances, per NBA.com.
Luka Doncic finished the game with 25 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block for the game. As for Uncle Drew, he had a 26-point outing, paired with 5 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block for the game, per Statmuse. The Mavericks have now won 12 out of their last 15 games of the season, something Nowitzki was asked about a few days ago. The following is what he said, as per WFAA.
“Well, they [Dallas Mavericks] are clicking on all cylinders. Finally defending a little better, the offense has been great, Luka and Kyrie are playing well off of each other, the other guys are spreading the floor, got the bigs rolling to the basket… So, I mean, they’re playing really well. Really firing on all cylinders, so I’m so happy to see it.”
With this win, the Mavericks now have a 46-20 overall record on the season so far, per NBA.com. And even though they’re only two games behind the fourth-seeded Clippers team, there may be a chance Dallas ends up overtaking them, given the struggles LAC has been going through lately.
