From one of the best coaches in the NBA to one of the best players the league has ever seen.
San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich made sure to honor Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki for one last time before his team took on the Mavs on Tuesday at the AT&T Center.
Popovich, who has had plenty of tough battles with the Mavs and Nowitzki in the past two decades, spoke fondly of Dirk and expressed his admiration for the seven-foot German who revolutionized the way the game is played for big men.
“It's been an honor to have had the opportunity to watch him play for all these years, and I get to see every single one of them,” Popovich said. “I feel really blessed that that kind of a talent could be enjoyed for so long. He obviously put in a lot of work to acquire the skills that he is showing all of us. It didn't just happen, he put in a lot of hours.”
“But the most impressive thing to me is, or has been, is his competitiveness. Night in and night out, he competes at the highest level. Takes no prisoners. Fierce, fierce competitor, and that never wavered anytime in his career.”
"It's been an honor to have had the opportunity to watch him play for all these years." 👏
Gregg Popovich admires Dirk ahead of the Mavs/Spurs matchup tonight. pic.twitter.com/gkAebk9tg9
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 10, 2019
Dirk Nowitzki officially announced his retirement following their final home game of the season against the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday. With that said, the Spurs were expected to honor the former NBA MVP in their Texas showdown.
Sure enough, the Spurs didn't disappoint. Besides Gregg Popovich's heartwarming message, the team also had a video tribute that sent Nowitzki to tears.
It remains to be seen what's next for Nowitzki. However, the Mavs did assure him that they have a ‘unique role' to give him.
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