Nowitzki retires

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Nowitzki retires

Postby Leander on Thu Apr 11, 2019 8:47 am

No thread yet?

Nowitzki retires. Thanks for making basketball more popular over here. Down to earth guy. In my opinion it was the best decision to retire now as multiple good bye tours would have been too much. :D I hope he will remain a part of the Mavericks franchise, for example as assistant coach. Porzingis and Doncic could benefit a lot.
Last edited by Leander on Thu Apr 11, 2019 12:52 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby Andrew on Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:48 am

Even though he's only making it official now, I think everyone took it as read.

Definitely a spectacular career. It's admirable how he took on a smaller role and sacrificed money so that the Mavericks could rebuild, and that he stuck with them rather than leaving to chase a couple more rings. As such, he's broken Kobe's record with 21 seasons playing for a single team, though neither was drafted by the club they spent their entire careers with. I believe Stockton and Duncan's 19 seasons are still the record for playing with the same team that drafted them.

Anyway, beyond longevity, selflessness, and being a class act, Dirk has obviously been a hell of a player. Oddly he's been too easy to overlook when we talk about the best players of all-time, but his stats throughout his prime are very impressive across the board, and he was clearly very skilled with his offensive arsenal. He wasn't the first stretch big by a long shot, but he was part of that evolution. He's not just the best European player in NBA history, but one of the best players in NBA history, period. I have to believe he's in the Top 50 at the very least; not Top 10, but still among elite company.

I'm not a Mavericks fan, but I really enjoyed those 2011 NBA Finals. It was great to see him get a ring, especially after the heartbreak of 2006, and the upset in his 2007 MVP season. Congratulations to Dirk, the Hall awaits.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby Leander on Thu Apr 11, 2019 1:13 pm

Yes, Kobe, Duncan and Stockton. Just watched the Mavs vs. Spurs game until 4:30 a.m. :) His last shot over the defender was a perfect good-bye. He has become awfully slowly so he had to rely on his shot.

Yesterday was a day to remember with old guys scoring big. Crawford had 50 as well, which is crazy.

Nowitzki's shooting percentage was low this season. I'm not sure why. Because of forced shots? Less driving to the hoop due to limited agility? A more static play? Or do you think his age had an effect on his touch?

By the way, yesterday's ceremony was quite funny when Schrempf talked to Dirk in German but there wasn't much left with his US accent. :) Dirk still speaks German fine though.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby [Q] on Thu Apr 11, 2019 2:23 pm

That last game he had where he dropped 30 points... Fucking vintage Dirk. I was a fan of his when he was a rookie, a nobody. I loved attempting to play with him and the Mavs in Live 2000 on my PlayStation. and it was cool to follow his journey to superstar and NBA champion and all-time great.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby shadowgrin on Thu Apr 11, 2019 7:32 pm

Leander wrote:Nowitzki's shooting percentage was low this season...Or do you think his age had an effect on his touch?

Doubt it, touch rarely disappear from shooters due to old age.
I think it’s just his body getting tired easily now to compete in a NBA level.
Have him shoot without pro defenders or the running required in a pro game and he’ll likely make those shots per usual.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby Andrew on Thu Apr 11, 2019 9:19 pm

Limited minutes don't help, either. Stars often have off nights even in their prime, but they're offset by plenty of other opportunities to even out their numbers and make up for rough games. If you take a look at Dirk's game log for this season, there are quite a few scoreless games where he missed all four or five of his shots (and even an 0-for-10 game), which keeps his percentage low. Without the minutes he'd play in his prime, it's harder for him to have bounce back games, or get into a rhythm in games where he ends up 3-for-9, 2-for-10, and so on.

Leander wrote:Yes, Kobe, Duncan and Stockton.


Kobe was drafted by the Hornets and Dirk was drafted by the Bucks, so while they played 20 and 21 years for the Lakers and Mavericks, they weren't actually drafted by them. I believe that makes Stockton and Duncan the longest tenured players with a single team that also drafted them. Anyway, not a reflection on their careers, just an interesting trivia note.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby I Hate Mondays on Mon Apr 15, 2019 12:42 am

Happy to catch this guy winning a championship back in the days. Love how humble he is, he didn't need a whole retirement tour and exchanging jerseys stuff. He kept the retirement for himself until the last day.
Also, the fact that even though he is a millionaire, he used to bring in homemade food and drinks in a reused bottle, these are the things that will forever stay in my head when I have to talk about what a great person he was.
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Re: Nowitzki retires

Postby mp3 on Mon Apr 15, 2019 4:04 am

The retirement ceremony was on another level, a true nba legend !
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