Top 100 moments of the 2018-19 NBA season, Part 2

14. The best of Dirk Nowitzki’s final season

Dirk Nowitzki didn’t play the first game of his season until Dec. 13, but even if he didn’t actually announce it would be his final year in the NBA until after his home finale in April, most people around the league were emotionally bracing for the seven-footer’s retirement from the start.

After all, when Nowitzki checked in for his first game of 2018-19, he became the only person in NBA history to suit up for a 21st season with the same team, and only the fifth player to ever play a 21st season at all. When he banked in his first shot, the crowd understandably went nuts.

Dirk didn’t have as many highlight moments as Dwyane Wade’s well-promoted farewell tour, not only because his game and athleticism had deteriorated at age 40, but also because no one knew for sure whether it was his last year.

Even so, that didn’t stop Celtics fans from giving him a standing ovation in what would be his final game at TD Garden. It didn’t stop his last game in Dallas against Wade from being special, it didn’t make his 10 fourth quarter points in a win over the Cavaliers any less memorable, and it didn’t obstruct his 21 points and five triples in his last game at Oracle Arena from being a night to remember.

The biggest highlight (aside from his final two games, which we’ll get to later) may have come on March 18, when he passed Wilt Chamberlain for sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Dirk Nowitzki changed the game for shooting big men, and there’s no question about where he stands among the all-time greats in NBA history.