Dirk
Nowitzki – Europe’s Crown Jewel Retires from NBA
Dirk Nowitzki – Europe’s Crown Jewel Retires from NBA
April 11, 2019
At the rip old age of 16 in 1994, center/power forward Dirk Nowitzki
took his place on a basketball court alongside the best up-and-coming
professional basketball players in Germany, playing with DJK Wurzburg
in Germany's 2nd-tier level league, the Second Bundesliga. Who could
have ever imagined that 25 years later, the gawky 7-footer would be
retiring from the US’ NBA as one of the greatest basketball players in
NBA history?
Following what many insiders assumed would be his last home game with
the Dallas Mavericks, Nowitzki left the basketball court, walked up to
microphone and told a large group of teary-eyed fans that Wednesday
night’s (April 10, 2019) road game against the San Antonio Spurs would
be his last in any NBA uniform. For 21 years, the NBA superstar has
been solid as steel. There was nary a gambler who wouldn’t proudly
claim a wagering bonus at kodibonus and use those funds
to bet with confidence of the Mavs.
With a record of 33-48 and the one game to go, the fans still filled
the stands in anticipation of one of the worst kept secrets in NBA
history. Indeed, Nowitzki was going to make his announcement. There was
still a game to be played and Dirk promptly went out and scored 30
points in a 120-109 win over the Phoenix Suns.
Following the game, no one was in a hurry to leave the court. NBA great
Larry Bird
and a few other prominent NBA players from the past took the microphone
to say a few words about the man of the hour. By the time Nowitzki took
his turn, emotions were running high. He made his announcement of
retirement: "Wow. I'm a little overwhelmed, as you would think. As you
guys might expect, this is my last home game," he said. Afterwards, he
dried his tears and promptly walked off the court to another a
well-deserved standing ovation.
The tale of the tape supports firmly Nowitzki’s
place in NBA history as one of the greats. He will be retiring as the
NBA’s 6th All-Time scorer with something a little over 31,540 points.
He is a 14-time NBA All-Star, NBA Champion (2011), NBA’s Most Valuable
Player in 2007, and perhaps the pride of his trophy case, NBA Teammate
of the Year (2017). He is not only Europe’s crown jewel, but he is
Europe’s crown jewel by an incredible margin.
Few people will ever forget the shooting ability of this confirmed
7-footer. Never in NBA history has a 7-footer ever shown the ability to
consistently drop 3-pointers on opponents at will. In fact, he will be
closing out his career as a career .383% shooter from beyond the arc.
If there was ever a knock against Nowitzki on the basketball court, it
was his seeming lack of physical play in the paint. A closer look
indicates his averaged 7.7 RPG while playing most of the time on the
outside on offense. That’s physical enough.
The beloved Nowitzki will be missed. However, there’s a new Euro light
shining on the horizon in Dallas. Stay tuned for the career of Luka
Dončić.
