When the Golden State Warriors take the floor against the Dallas Mavericks on Monday night, it may mark one of the final few meetings that it will be against Dirk Nowitzki.
With that in mind, All-Star forward Kevin Durant on Monday morning reflected fondly upon his time playing against Nowitzki throughout his own career.
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“We played him in the playoffs that year it was a five-game series. It felt like a seven-game series. He was just amazing. He had 48 with 24 for 24 from the free throw line. Unstoppable game. His teammates and coaches rallied around him and they were able to win a championship that year. That was a special moment not just for fans in Dallas but everyone around the league. You tell everybody was happy for Dirk winning a championship.
There are some great memories. Since I have been in the league he has been nothing but nice and cool to me. Somebody that if I really wanted to talk to about some stuff I would hit him up. It's been a great ride playing against him.”
Durant has gone through some memorable battles in the playoffs against Nowitzki in their respective careers. He had referenced the 2011 Western Conference Finals matchup, which the future Hall of Famer led the Mavericks passed Oklahoma City Thunder in five games where he averaged 32.2 points on 55.7 percent shooting in the series while notching 40 or more points twice.
That said, Nowitzki's legacy in Durant's eyes goes much further beyond that in terms of his impact on the game and his role as a mentor to the younger generation of players around the league such as himself. He put together a sure-fire Hall of Fame career while helping completely transform the power forward position into what it has become in the modern NBA as an offensive threat that can stretch the floor beyond the three-point line.
There is much respect for what Nowitzki has done in now two decades in the league, which is likely a stance that is echoed by many others of his peers.
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