Dirk Nowitzki was in tears.
His German team was playing in Munich in what was a win-or-go-home game against Spain — and the Germans fell 77-76.
After the game had ended, the German crowd gave Nowitzki a standing ovation, which you can see above.
It was a rough game for Nowitzki — five games in six days is a lot to ask of the 37-year-old. He had 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting.
Nowitzki is, for my money, the best European player ever in the NBA, and he has as unguardable a shot as the league has ever seen. He carried the German national team for years. The pictures and video of when he took the Larry O’Brien trophy back to Germany in 2011 showed just how much that nation worshiped him.
Now the national team leader role falls more to Dennis Schroder (who missed a free throw with three seconds left that could have tied the game).
With the win, Spain advances to the knockout round, having finished second in Group B, the “group of death.”