DALLAS — Take a bow, Dirk. You deserve it.
Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki was honored at EuroBasket 2022 this September, where his international No. 14 jersey was retired. It marks the first time in the 73-year history of the German basketball federation (DBB) that they have retired a jersey number.
Nowitzki's No. 41 Mavericks jersey already hangs in the rafters of American Airlines Center after it was retired in January, so both his NBA and German jerseys will never be worn again.
“I felt honored above all when this idea was presented to me by the DBB,” Nowitzki said in a statement. “It was a nice surprise and I’m already excited about what awaits me in Cologne.
Nowitzki played for the German international team from 1999 until his international retirement in 2016. He played 153 games for his country, scoring 3,045 points. He was also the German flag-bearer for the march into the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
“If anyone deserves it, it’s Dirk,” said DBB president Ingo Weiss. “He has always been willing to play for Germany, putting in incredible performances in 153 international games for the men.”
In Nowitzki's 21-year NBA career with the Mavs, he averaged 20.7 points and 7.5 rebounds. In total, Nowitzki's 31,560 career points ranks sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
It's only a matter of time before the greatest Maverick in history is inducted into the Hall of Fame. Nowitzki is eligible for enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the 2024 class. He is widely expected to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
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