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Now in his 20th season in the league, many are wondering how many more years Dirk Nowitzki plans to play at the highest level. While he hasn’t spoken much about his plans before, he recently discussed it, and shed more light to the question many fans have in mind.
The German international big man shared, via Eddie Sefko of Sports Day, that he’ll more likely return for the 2018-19 campaign. He then added that it’s not 100 percent guaranteed for now, but he still feels good despite already being 39 years old.
“I’m not going to say 100 percent I’ll be back — but it’s looking like it,” Nowitzki said. “I feel fine so far. I’ve played every game. I’d love to play all 82. That would be amazing at [age] 39. We’ll see how the body feels. But so far, it’s been fine.”
Nowitzki was the ninth overall pick back in the 1999 draft, and has spent his entire NBA career with the Dallas Mavericks. He has won almost all awards the league has to offer, including the MVP award and being named an All-Star 13-times. He may not be receiving the same amount of playing time like he did during his younger days, but he is the Mavs’ veteran locker room leader, and still produces decent numbers whenever he plays.
While almost all his contemporaries have all retired, the former Finals MVP is now one of only four active players to have been drafted before the turn of the century, together with Vince Carter, Manu Ginobili, and Jason Terry. The possibility of him still playing next year is also a testament to how he’s put a high premium on his health and conditioning. It may still be unclear if Nowitzki will return next season, but based on his statement, it’s definitely a positive sign for him and his fans.
