Although the Dallas Mavericks continue to have quite a rough season, fans got something to smile about on Tuesday afternoon when Mavs longtime star power forward Dirk Nowitzki said that he plans to come back for his 21st NBA season in 2018-19.
Nowitzki, who will turn 40 in June, had an interview with Marc Stein of The New York Times this week and discussed his future in the league.
“As of now, I’m planning to come back,” Nowitzki said. “I feel great. I’ve only missed one game all season. I signed a two-year contract because I wanted to play two more years. And here we are.”
Stein also stated that the legendary German seven-footer still loves playing basketball and intends to do so for as long as he can.
“An official decision on whether to invoke the 2018-19 player option on the two-year, $10 million contract he signed in July 2017 will not be made until the off-season. First, Nowitzki plans to step away from the game next month, huddle with his wife, Jessica, and his longtime German shooting coach and adviser, Holger Geschwindner, about the future, and undergo a thorough examination of his health,” Stein said.
Dirk Nowitzki entered Tuesday just 281 points short of surpassing Wilt Chamberlain (31,149 points) for the fifth spot on the N.B.A.’s career scoring list.
Over his magnificent 20-year career with the Mavs, Nowitzki has been named an NBA All-Star 13 times, won the 2007 regular season Most Valuable Player award, and was the MVP of the 2011 NBA Finals when Dallas beat the Miami Heat four games to two.