Dirk Nowitzki and fans get an extra Christmas present from the Mavericks

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban unveiled a rendering of the statue for Dirk Nowitzki during his jersey retirement last season. Fans expected it to go up this year, but there was no firm date until Friday.

The Mavericks are hosting their first Christmas Day game since 2011 as the Lakers come to town for one of the league’s biggest days during the regular season. It got even bigger as the team announced they will unveil Dirk’s statue at 11 a.m. CT. The outside ceremony is for credentialed guests only, but fans can watch from Nowitzki Way or inside the arena on the jumbotron.

Fans can expect another special and emotional day for Dirk. It was expected to be around the holidays, so Nowitzki’s family from Germany could be in attendance, just as they were for his jersey retirement. Fans now know that it will happen before the Christmas Day showdown against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Dirk Nowitzki and fans get an extra Christmas present from the Mavericks

The American Airlines Center will be rocking on Christmas Day, and there will be a massive crowd watching at home as they celebrate with their families. Expect Luka Doncic to put on a show for Dirk and the audience as he looks to top his childhood idol on the holiday. It could be one of those unbelievable and historic performances that the 23-year-old pulls out of his bag on the biggest stages.

Fans have seen the statue, but it will be awesome to enjoy it outside the arena. The team is streaming the statue unveiling ceremony on their website for fans who cannot be in attendance on the holiday.

The statue unveiling adds a bit of added flavor to their already spicy Christmas Day game against the Lakers. Fans will not want to miss a second of the action, so get up early for presents. The ceremony begins at 11 a.m. with the game tipping off at 1:30 p.m. CT. Be sure to tune in and enjoy the show.