Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki receives special gift from former Mav

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki did not play in the team’s preseason game in Shanghai, but he received a special gift from a former Mav during the contest.

The Dallas Mavericks are in the midst of their trip to China.  They made the trek as part of NBA Global Games.  The Mavs face the Philadelphia 76ers in two different cities in China over a four day period.

The first game took place on Friday morning local time in Dallas.  The Sixers defeated Dallas 120-114 behind strong performances from Joel Embiid and J.J. Redick.

The Mavericks played well including some hot shooting from Dennis Smith Jr. and the proof that Luka Doncic is going to impact every game this season.  Maxi Kleber also stated his case for more minutes with a 17 point performance.

Injuries had a massive impact on the contest, though.  The Sixers were only missing Wilson Chandler from their regular rotation.  Dallas was without starters DeAndre Jordan and Harrison Barnes plus legend Dirk Nowitzki.  The fact that the Mavs hung tough against a squad expected to make a deep playoff run was a positive sign.

Dirk received love and a special gift

Dirk may not have played minutes on the court, but that did not stop him from being part of the action.  Fans have been pouring love on him since the Mavs arrived in China.  Nowitzki has done a lot of autographs and photos this week.

He gave a brief speech at midcourt before tipoff in Shanghai.  Embiid gave his first and then, Dirk thanked the fans for coming out and supporting the game.  The crowd gave the legend a massive cheer during his introduction.

A special moment took place during a timeout.  Former Maverick Wang Zhizhi presented Dirk with a special gift.  You can see a video below of the presentation courtesy of the Mavs official Twitter.

Naturally, the future Hall of Famer put his new guitar to good use while enjoying the game as you can see below thanks again to the Mavericks official Twitter account.

Hopefully, Dirk never changes.  He is one of the funniest players in the NBA.  It is impossible not to root for him even if you are not a Mavs fan.

Final thoughts

The Dallas Mavericks need Nowitzki on the court this season too.  Hopefully, he makes a speedy recovery from his ankle setback, and we can all put this injury in the rearview mirror.  The bench unit needs Dirk’s floor spacing and scoring threat to be effective.  Keep it here for updates on the legends health as they become available.

In the meantime, Dirk can enjoy his guitar and outpouring of love from the fans in China.  Not a bad consolation prize.