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Most greats in the game of basketball are used to some sort of greatness — whether it is dominating one particular aspect of the game in a night-to-night basis or maybe the greatest dominance of them all: winning.
For Dirk Nowitzki, his legacy has revolved around the greatness of the only jersey he's put on throughout his career, a Dallas Mavericks one.
In his 18 seasons with the team, Dirk has enjoyed 12 seasons of 50-plus wins, including 11 in a row from 2000-11, which culminated with him earning Finals MVP.
The Mavericks are mired in a disastrous 3-15 record, one he hasn't seen since his first few seasons of his career as the team started to put a core of talent together.
The 38-year-old is used to chasing playoff spots, not climbing his way out of the worst record in the league, which makes his injuries all the more frustrating to him.
Article Continues Below“It's hard to listen to him,” Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. “The dude bitches like a m*****f*****.”
But despite having an injury-plagued season, head coach Rick Carlisle doesn't think it will hurt Nowitzki's legacy.
“Guys are learning to play in an environment that is very realistic, as opposed to the nirvana that he's provided here for close to two decades,” Carlisle said. “The one thing that I think this period should point out to historians of the game is his level of greatness. It's just another strong indication of how great he has been [and] is and the kind of impact he has. When he's out there on a consistent basis, it's a game-changer.”
When asked if losing as bad as they have this year puts a dent in his reputation as a player, Cuban was quick to shrug it off.
“Dirk is dignified, no matter what he does,” Cuban said. “He doesn't need any help. Everything about his career, everything about his personality, everything about who he is, there's going to be dignity no matter what the circumstances. So I don't worry about that.”
