At age 34 after 14 years in the league, Dirk Nowitzki hasn’t lost a step yet. If you thought he did last year, think about who was around him. He is still the guy who led the Mavericks to the title in 2011, and even last season he averaged 21.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game.
And he’s going to be around a couple more years. This is what Nowitzki himself tweeted Sunday:
Not coincidentally, that is when his next contract is up. Dirk, with his conditioning and shooting skill, most likely will still be able to play at a high level beyond those two years.
Whether he returns may have a lot to do with Mark Cuban’s rebuilding plan — he has a lot of cap space next year, and if they don’t land a start he will find a way to roll it over to the next year. He wants to get another star or two to pair with Dirk.
If he lands that other superstar you can bet Dirk will find a few more years in those legs. If not… it will be a sad day whenever the best international player ever leaves the NBA.