DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki made peace years ago with the reality that spending his entire career with the Dallas Mavericks would likely mean little or no chance to win a second championship.
The most accomplished European player in NBA history never seriously considered leaving the franchise that courted him as a teenager in Germany and drafted him five days after his 20th birthday in 1998.
kAm}@H :? 9:D a_E9 D62D@?[ }@H:EK<: :D 4@>7@CE23=6 H:E9 E96 :562 E92E 96 =65 E96 |2G6C:4<D E@ E96:C 7:CDE E:E=6 2?5 42? ECJ E@ 96=A 2 J@F?86C 4@C6 3F:=5 E@H2C5 >2<:?8 s2==2D 2 E:E=6 4@?E6?56C 282:?]k^Am
kAm“x ;FDE E9:?< x AC:56 >JD6=7 H:E9 E9:D 4:EJ[ H:E9 E9:D @C82?:K2E:@?[ H92E6G6C E9:D 4:EJ @C E9:D 7C2?49:D6 8@6D E9C@F89[ x H2?E E@ AFD9 :E E9C@F89[” }@H:EK<: D2:5] “x H2?E E@ 36 E96C6 7@C :E] x7 :E’D C63F:=5:?8[ x H2?E E@ AFD9 :E E9C@F89 2?5 96=A 2D >F49 2D x 42?] x7 H6’C6 A=2J:?8 7@C 2 492>A:@?D9:A[ E96? x’== 5@ E92E]”k^Am
kAm%96 |2G6C:4<D 92G6?’E H@? 2 A=2J@77 D6C:6D D:?46 362E:?8 |:2>: :? E96 u:?2=D :? a_``[ {6qC@? y2>6D’ 7:CDE D62D@? H:E9 E96 w62E] %96J 925 2 H@67F= DE2CE 7@C E96 D64@?5 DEC2:89E J62C[ 2== 3FE 2DDFC:?8 E92E E96J H:== >:DD E96 A=2J@77D H:E9 4@?D64FE:G6 =@D:?8 D62D@?D 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6 D:?46 }@H:EK<:’D 7:CDE EH@]k^Am
kAm%96 D=:56 @FE @7 4@?E6?E:@? >62?D =:EE=6 E@ E96 4@?E6IE @7 }@H:EK<:’D 42C66Ci 2 f\7@@E6C H9@ 492?865 E96 82>6 H:E9 9:D b\A@:?E D9@@E:?8[ E96 7:CDE 7@C6:8?\3@C? A=2J6C E@ C6249 b_[___ A@:?ED 2?5 E96 5:DE:?4E:@? H:E9 z@36 qCJ2?E W{2<6CDX 2D E96 @?=J A=2J6CD E@ DA6?5 a_ D62D@?D H:E9 E96 D2>6 7C2?49:D6]k^Am
kAm“x E9:?< E96 C62=:EJ :D E92E H96? J@F D66 E9:D <:?5 @7 4@?D:DE6?4J @7 8C62E?6DD[ E96C6’D 2 E6?56?4J E@ E2<6 :E 7@C 8C2?E65[” D2:5 #:4< r2C=:D=6[ :? 9:D `_E9 D62D@? 2D }@H:EK<:’D 4@249] “p?5 H6 >FDE 36 42C67F= 23@FE E2<:?8 E9:D 7@C 8C2?E65] (6’C6 D66:?8 2 86?6C2E:@?2= A=2J6C E92E’D 492?865 E96 82>6]”k^Am
kAm}@H:EK<: DE:== DE2CED — r2C=:D=6 AC6EEJ >F49 564=2C65 62C=:6C E9:D D62D@? E92E 96 H:== DE2CE 2D =@?8 2D 96’D A=2J:?8 — 3FE @7E6? D:ED 2E E96 6?5 @7 4=@D6 82>6D] w6’D AC@323=J E96 7@FCE9 D4@C:?8 @AE:@?[ 369:?5 w2CC:D@? q2C?6D[ (6D=6J |2EE96HD 2?5 6G6? C@@<:6 A@:?E 8F2C5 s6??:D $>:E9 yC]k^Am
kAmqFE E96 bh\J62C\@=5 A=2J65 E96 7:CDE dc 82>6D[ 2? :>A@CE2?E >62DFC6 7@C 9:> E@ 766= 96’D 4@?EC:3FE:?8] }@H:EK<:[ E96 @?=J f\7@@E6C E@ H:? E96 b\A@:?E 4@?E6DE E92E’D A2CE @7 p==\$E2C H66<6?5[ :D :? A@D:E:@? 7@C E96 36DE D9@@E:?8 A6C46?E286 @7 9:D 42C66C 7C@> 36J@?5 E96 2C4] %96 ?F>36C @7 2EE6>AED :D?’E 72C @77 7C@> 9:D AC:>6 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm“x H:D9 96 42? A=2J 7@C6G6C[” D2:5 (2D9:?8E@? 4@249 $4@EE qC@@<D[ H9@ H2D 2E ~<=29@>2 r:EJ H96? E96 %9F?56C =@DE E@ E96 |2G6C:4<D :? E96 a_`` (6DE6C? r@?76C6?46 7:?2=D 2?5 362E E96> :? E96 7:CDE C@F?5 E96 ?6IE J62C]k^Am
kAm“*@F <?@H E96 E:>6 :D H:?5:?8 5@H?[ J@F 5@?’E <?@H 9@H >2?J >@C6 J62CD 96 92D] w6 AC@323=J 92D >2J36 D:I @C D6G6? >@C6 =67E :? 9:>[” qC@@<D D2:5[ ECJ:?8 E@ <66A 2 DEC2:89E 7246]k^Am
kAm}@H:EK<: 92D 2=C625J D2:5 96 :D 4@?D:56C:?8 2 a`DE D62D@?] q2CC:?8 2 5C2>2E:4 :>AC@G6>6?E E9C@F89 2 EC256[ E96 5C27E @C 7C66 286?4J[ E92E =:<6=J >62?D 2?@E96C J62C @7 96=A:?8 EFC? $>:E9 :?E@ 2 A@:?E 8F2C5 E92E 42? 8F:56 2 492>A:@? E96 H2J }@H:EK<: 4C65:ED y2D@? z:55 7@C 5@:?8 :? s2==2D]k^Am
kAmpDDF>:?8 E96 |2G6C:4<D DE2J ?62C E96 3@EE@> @7 E96 (6DE DE2?5:?8D[ E96J’== 92G6 2?@E96C 9:89 5C27E A:4< 27E6C 86EE:?8 $>:E9 2E }@] h] %92E H:== 36 2?@E96C J@F?8 A=2J6C H9@ D66D E96 H@C< }@H:EK<: 5@6D 2H2J 7C@> E96 4@FCE E@ DE2J :? D92A6[ 2?5 2 `b\E:>6 p==\$E2C H9@ :D 7C6BF6?E=J E96 =2DE A=2J6C E@ BF:E D9@@E:?8 27E6C AC24E:46]k^Am
kAmy]y] q2C62 DA6?E 9:D 7:CDE 7:G6 D62D@?D H:E9 E96 |2G6C:4<D 2?5 H2D DE:== 2 C6=2E:G6=J J@F?8 8F2C5 2E ae H96? E96 |2G6C:4<D H@? E96 E:E=6]k^Am
kAm“x FD65 9:> 2 =@E[” D2:5 q2C62[ H9@ C6EFC?65 E@ s2==2D E9C66 J62CD 28@] “x7 x H@C< 92=7 @7 H92E 96 5@6D[ x’> 8@:?8 E@ 36 2== C:89E] %96D6 8FJD[ E96J C62==J 5:5?’E 86E 9:> 2E 9:D 36DE =:<6 x 8@E 9:>] qFE E96J DE:== D66 9@H 92C5 J@F’G6 8@E E@ H@C< E@ 36 23=6 E@ A=2J @FE E96C6 H:E9 FD]”k^Am
kAm}@H:EK<: 5@6D?’E >:?5 25>:EE:?8 E92E AC24E:46 :D?’E BF:E6 2D 7F? 2D :E FD65 E@ 36]k^Am
kAm“qFE @?46 E96 32== 8@6D FA[ :E’D DE:== 8C62E[” D2:5 E96 a__f |'![ H9@ 92D 42C66C 2G6C286D @7 a`]c A@:?ED 2?5 f]f C63@F?5D] “x DE:== =@G6 E@ 4@>A6E6] x DE:== =@G6 E@ 36 @FE E96C6 7@C E96 8FJD 2?5 ECJ:?8 E@ 96=A E96> H:E9 >J 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 DAC625 E96 7=@@C 7@C E96> 2?5 >2J36 86EE:?8 D@>6 E:>6=J D4@C:?8 96C6 2?5 E96C6]”k^Am
kAmp=H2JD 3:8 @? D6=7\56AC642E:@?[ }@H:EK<: BF:AD E92E 96 42?’E 96=A E96 J@F?86C A=2J6CD 3J D9@H:?8 E96> 2?J >@G6D] w6 5@6D?’E 92G6 E@ 36 ;@<:?8 E@ 24<?@H=6586 E92E 9:D A2E6?E65 @?6\=68865 72562H2J ;F>A6C :D?’E ?62C=J 2D 52?86C@FD 2D :E H2D H96? 96 H2D u:?2=D |'!]k^Am
kAm(92E }@H:EK<: 42? @776C :D H@C< 6E9:4 2?5 6IA6C:6?46[ ?@E E@ >6?E:@? =@?86G:EJ] w6 3642>6 E96 D:IE9 }qp A=2J6C E@ C6249 d_[___ >:?FE6D %F6D52J ?:89E 2E E96 {@D p?86=6D r=:AA6CD]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 366? EH@ 564256D @7 7F? 2?5 4@>A6E:?8[” }@H:EK<: D2:5] “v6EE:?8 E@ a_ J62CD :D DA64:2=] %96C6’D ?@E 2 =@E @7 8FJD E92E 92G6 5@?6 :E] }@E 2 =@E @7 8FJD 92G6 5@?6 :E H:E9 @?6 7C2?49:D6] x’> AC@F5 @7 E92E[ 3FE H2?E E@ 7:?:D9 E96 D62D@? DEC@?8]”k^Am
kAm}@H:EK<: 2=H2JD 7:?5D 2 H2J E@ DE66C E96 4@?G6CD2E:@? 324< E@ E96 AC6D6?E — 2?5 7FEFC6]k^Am