Dirk Nowitzki will enter his 20th NBA season where he’ll have the opportunity to compete with a young Dallas Mavericks team.
Last season’s 11th place finish wasn’t what Dirk Nowitzki or the Dallas Mavericks had in mind when they agreed to a two-year deal last July. New additions to the rotation and key injuries slowed down the chemistry building process for the team, which ultimately led to their 33-49 record.
Despite being injured in the first game of the season against the Indiana Pacers, Dirk showed everyone that he still has it at the age of 38, even after missing extended time.
In 54 starts, he averaged 14.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting a consistent 44 percent from the field.
| Season | G | GS | MP | FG% | 3P% | FT% | TRB | AST | STL | BLK | TOV | PF | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | 54 | 54 | 26.4 | .437 | .378 | .875 | 6.5 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 2.1 | 14.2 |
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 4/30/2017.
For most Mavs fans, the consistency that he’s been able to showcase during his career has become second nature. He’s put himself in a position where he’s been able to compete at the highest level for a long time.
However, it wasn’t always a smooth ride for Dirk. His struggles during his rookie season made him question whether or not he should go back home to Germany. Fans in Dallas were also second-guessing their first round lottery pick.
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Luckily for everyone, he had a solid support group in his corner helping him through this difficult transition period.
This included his teammate/friend Steve Nash and longtime mentor Holger Geschwindner, who is also beloved in Dallas. In addition to these two, Don Nelson also played a key role in convincing Dirk to stay.
In his sophomore season, Dirk saw significant increases in almost every statistical category. It was also his first full NBA season after playing a shortened lockout season in the prior year.
He started 81 out of 82 games and increased his scoring average by more than double from his rookie season. He saw growth in his rebounding numbers, overall shooting percentages and the number of minutes played per game.
Provided by Basketball-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 5/1/2017.
His rookie season is forgettable, but his career following that first year has been anything but that.
He’s a league MVP, NBA champion, Finals MVP, 13-time NBA All-Star and 30,000+ point scorer, not to mention one of the hardest workers in the gym. Greatness didn’t happen overnight for Dirk. Instead, he earned it.
Mark Cuban had this to say about Nowitzki in a 2016 SportsDay article.
"“When you talk about competitors on the court, it starts with their discipline off the court. Lots of guys can say, ‘Oh, I’m a competitor’ and play hard, but you can tell how important it is to them and how committed they are by their discipline. There’s nobody more disciplined, on or off the court, than Dirk.”"
I don’t believe anyone would have thought that a skinny kid from Germany would have ended up in the 30K point club, especially after the start that he had. He was labeled soft coming into the league, but that perception has since changed.
He’s one of the most highly regarded NBA players to ever step foot on the hardwood. If you don’t agree with me, maybe you’ll agree with His Airness himself. In regards to the current players that could have played in his era, Michael Jordan said this of Nowitzki.
"“I’ll give you a hint. I can only come up with four. LeBron, Kobe, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki.”"
Dirk Nowitzki tries to block a Michael Jordan shot during a Dallas Mavericks - Washington Wizards game in 2003. pic.twitter.com/JigljMf6Re
— Texas Sports History (@TXSportsHistory) January 25, 2015
That’s undoubtedly huge praise coming from the greatest basketball player to ever live.
Going from an unknown international player to one of the greatest NBA legends of all time has been amazing to watch and basketball fans everywhere need to soak up every last one-legged fadeaway before Dirk decides to hang his sneakers up.
The Dirk Nowitzki documentary is a great watch, and I got to see how handsome he was as a rookie pic.twitter.com/flSxwzGlcZ
— Dave Pitman (@HelloDavePitman) September 14, 2016
Plus, who could forget this late 90s look? Dirk landed at DFW Airport and stepped into his new life in Dallas sporting a hoop earring in his left ear while rocking a questionable haircut.
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While his sense of style (or lack thereof) was certainly questionable, his overall work in the NBA certainly isn’t. He revolutionized the power forward position and is a first ballot Hall-of-Famer.