The Dallas Mavericks plan to retire legendary star power forward Dirk Nowitzki's number in a forthcoming ceremony, but the number hoisted into the American Airlines Center rafters along with the unveiling of a lookalike statue of the retired German pro has been delayed due to the current public-health crisis of coronavirus (COVID-19).
Per Doyle Reader in SB Nation's team blog Mavs Moneyball:
“The Mavericks are set to retire Dirk Nowitzki’s jersey at the start of next season. During the ceremony, taking place during the team’s second game, the hope was to also unveil the model a Nowitzki statue — no doubt in his signature one-legged jumper pose — that will eventually stand outside the American Airlines Center. Now, that might not happen.
“‘You know, this obviously slowed it down,' Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told me in a recent interview. ‘The hope was to have a model ready to show the second game of this coming season when we retire his jersey. We’ll have to see how everything plays out.'”
Nowitzki, 41, retired after spending his entire NBA career — 21 seasons — with the Mavericks following the conclusion of the 2018-19 season. Nowitzki, alongside longtime rival in Miami Heat star shooting guard Dwyane Wade, were given places of honor during the 2019 NBA All-Star Game in Charlotte ahead of their respective retirements.
The NBA suspended league operations effective March 12 due to the worldwide coronavirus pandemic, and players from several teams have contracted the infectious virus that has overwhelmed the country's healthcare system. There's no inkling yet if the NBA plans to resume the season later in May or June or cancel the 2019-20 campaign altogether.
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