Could Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki have spent part of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks? Maybe not, but Nowitzki does have a big appreciation for the city of Milwaukee.
Nowitzki, who was drafted by the Bucks before being traded to the Mavericks on draft night, shared his positive opinion of Milwaukee in an appearance on the “Thanalysis Show” with current Bucks forward Thanasis Antetokounmpo.
Antetokounmpo asked Nowitzki about potentially ending up in Dallas, and made sure to remind the the 7-0 Germany native about Milwaukee's strong German heritage.
“I think Milwaukee would have been great,” Nowitzki said. “A lot of bratwursts, I think Milwaukee would have been fun. Being in Dallas, I enjoyed my time. It’s my new home. I still live there. It ended up working out for me. But I think Milwaukee would have been fun.”
While Nowitzki-to-Milwaukee is a fun “what if” for NBA fans, he was never going to stay with the Bucks despited being drafted by them, as the trade with the Mavericks was reportedly agreed to before the draft. Despite that, Bucks fans have to be frustrated hearing that Nowitzki would have enjoyed being in Milwaukee.
What if Dirk Nowitzki was a Milwaukee Buck?
Nowitzki famously spent his entire Hall-of-Fame career with the Mavericks. The 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA, MVP and NBA Champion revolutionized the sport with his perimeter shooting and signature fadeaway mid-range jumper. While it's difficult to imagine Nowitzki anywhere but Dallas, it sure would have been fun to see him in Milwaukee.
At the beginning of his career, Nowitzki would have formed one of the best shooting duos in NBA history with fellow Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen. Later in his career, a front court featuring Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nowitzki would give teams fits with their complimentary inside-out play styles.
Milwaukee is notoriously one of the least desirable free agency destinations in the NBA, with their 2021 Championship team being almost entirely build through the draft or through trades. Players like Greg Monroe and Mo Williams are considered some of the top free agent signings in the organization's history. Because of that, hearing that a player of Nowitzki's caliber had a positive view of the city and the franchise is thrilling.
Even though Nowitzki did not end up making his way to Milwaukee, things turned out OK for the Bucks. They have one of, if not the best player in the world right now with Antetokounmpo and are consistently considered NBA Finals contenders.
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