The 2018-19 season offered plenty of storylines, one of which included the retirement tours of NBA legends Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki of the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks respectively. Mavs point guard Jalen Brunson may have been a rookie this past year, but he was around Dirk long enough to appreciate the kind of impact that Nowitzki had on the franchise and the game of basketball.
Brunson spoke to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune about what it was like to experience Nowitzki's last season during a return to his alma mater at Stevenson High School in Illinois:
“It was fascinating to watch Dirk handle his last season,” Brunson said. “To be a teammate of his was very special. He’s hilarious. He can crack jokes all day. And the best part about it is he can take jokes too.
While Nowitzki enjoys retirement, Brunson and his Mavericks teammates are hoping to make a run at a Western Conference playoff spot.
After struggling to see the court early in the season, Brunson would eventually get his chance to be the team's starting point guard. He started 27 of Dallas' final 30 games and averaged 13.0 points, 4.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds as the starter.
Most analysts and reporters had wondered if the Mavericks would try to sign or acquire a star point guard to pair alongside Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis.
But after Dallas failed to sign Kemba Walker and decided to pull out of a deal for Goran Dragic, it looks like Brunson will once again have the chance to earn the starting role.
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