Whistle shares a tribute to Dallas Mavericks GOAT Dirk Nowitzki

The Dallas Mavericks changed the course of their franchise on June 24, 1998, when they traded for Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash. Don and Donnie Nelson targeted Nowitzki in the draft and found a way to acquire him by trading back to ninth overall. Nash was a backup point guard in Phoenix before Dallas swooped in to acquire him.

The Mavericks had not made the playoffs since 1990, but Dirk and Nash quickly changed their fortunes. When Nash departed in free agency in 2004, Nowitzki took Dallas to another level and earned them their first championship in 2011. The Mavs made the playoffs in 15 of 16 years from 2001 to 2016 as Dirk became an all-time great and the team’s GOAT.

Nowitzki retired in 2019 and had his jersey lifted into the rafters in January. Young fans may not remember Dirk’s greatness. If you do not, go to YouTube now and watch Nowitzki handing out buckets. Whistle Sports also posted a tribute video on social media on Aug. 2.

Whistle shares a tribute to Dallas Mavericks GOAT Dirk Nowitzki

It is easy to forget how athletic Dirk was in the early 2000s. Nowitzki became one of the best mid-range shooters of all time and an absolute marksmen and scoring machine. He is sixth all-time in scoring right now, and he scored 50 points in his final two games combined at age 40. Nowitzki is a living legend, and Whistle shared a tribute to his greatness on the court and his humor away from it.

There will never be another Dirk Nowitzki. The Dallas Mavericks have another player that is on pace to be an all-time great, but he is not Dirk. Dirty was the model superstar who made a massive impact off the court and he continues to do so with his charity work.

Dirk Nowitzki is back with the Dallas Mavericks as a special advisor to owner Mark Cuban. Fans saw the Tall Baller from the G traveling to road games in the playoffs, and it was amazing to see him helping the Mavs reach the conference finals again. Expect to see plenty of Dirk next season as the team looks to build on last year’s run.