Could This Be Dirk Nowitzki’s Last Game?

The Dallas Mavericks head into OKC on Monday night in what could be the last game of the season, but could it be the last game of Dirk Nowitzki‘s career?

Dallas came into Saturday night looking to even the series with the Thunder and go back to Oklahoma City with the series tied. But Dallas just couldn’t overcome the plethora of injuries and fell to the Thunder to go down 3-1 in the series, but it wasn’t without a relentless fight from Dirk Nowitzki.

Nowitzki finished the night with 27 points and eight rebounds on 12-21 shooting from the field. He also logged a series high 39 minutes on the night. The 37-year-old continues to give the Mavericks and the city of Dallas everything he has. Even after the tough loss, logging almost 40 minutes and limping from the bone bruise in his knee, Dirk still heard kids hollering his name.

This defines who this guy is. The tough competitor who leaves it all on the court who still acknowledges the  fans and kids who are there to see him play. But one question loomed in the back of everyone’s minds as he walked off the court in Dallas on Saturday night.

Is this the last game Dirk will ever suit up for in Dallas? If the Mavs lose Game 5, will this be last game of Nowitzki’s career?

The sixth all-time scorer in the NBA is in his 18th season as a Dallas Maverick as he goes into the summer where he has a player option of $8.6 million for next season. Hardly anyone thinks another team is an option, so it leaves the main options of him opting into the last year of his deal or retiring from the game of basketball.

With the question marks surrounding the Dallas Mavericks this summer once again, fans are scared things could turn for the worse and start the rebuilding process over the summer. Something that Dirk Nowitzki says he won’t be a part of.

You can’t blame The Big German for not wanting to grind through a whole season in the cellar of the league. But, I think the possibilities of that happening is pretty slim heading into the summer.

All indications are heading towards a summer payday reunion for Chandler Parsons and the Dallas Mavericks. Both Cuban and Parsons have been pretty vocal about locking up long-term in Dallas since the injury. So with Parsons, Mattthews and Nowitzki locked into contracts, its hard to imagine that isn’t a strong enough core to build around and compete.

Then there is the comments Nowitzki made in an interview with Mike and Mike a few weeks ago…

“My goal was when I signed this three-year deal to fulfill that contract. And so if I play next year through, by that point I’ll be 39. To be honest, 20 years [in the NBA] would sound really, really great. And next year would obviously be my 19th year, so maybe after this next year I could sign on one more. But I’ll just have to wait and see, I think, at this point.”

It really looks like Nowitzki is eyeing a 20 year career in Dallas, something that would be unthinkable in the NBA realm. It’s also worth noting that he is making these comments towards the end of this season, not at the beginning. Even after a long and grueling season like this season, Nowitzki seems optimistic about a couple more.

“This season I felt good. Next year we’ll see how it goes and then I can make that decision with my family, with [longtime shooting coach and mentor] Holger Geschwindner and all my guys that have been working with me for so long … I can make that decision if I play one more season.”

It really looks like the question is really about the 20th season, not next year. Just going by Dirk’s words above, it seems as if next year is already happening in Nowitzki’s mind.

With the level that Nowitzki has been playing at, Dirk could play these last couple of years at a high level, unlike Kobe Bryant‘s last season. Just in this last season at age 37, Dirk averaged 18 points and 7 rebounds a game on 31 minutes a night.

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To give you perspective, Nowitzki finished the season averaging more points than LaMarcus Aldridge, Paul Millsap, and Kevin Love. His 6.5 rebounds average was only .3 rebounds behind Kawhi Leonard and Serge Ibaka on the season. He finished the season with a higher shooting percentage than both James Harden and Carmelo Anthony.

So with things looking like the Mavs not heading toward a rebuild, the impressive season from Nowitzki in 2015-16, and the recent comments made by Nowitzki on ESPN; let’s stop with all the Nowitzki retirement talk.

This won’t be the last time we see Dirk Nowitzki in a Mavs jersey…or at least I hope not.