The Dallas Mavericks will honor Dirk Nowitzki with a statue reveal on December 25, 2022, when they host the Los Angeles Lakers. It will be displayed on in the South Plaza on Christmas Day at the American Airlines Center, celebrating the legendary career of the Würzburg native who led the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA Championship.
Nowitzki Way will be closed to traffic, where the outside general public will have the opportunity to celebrate this landmark Maverick milestone. Fans in attendance for the Christmas Day game against the Lakers are encouraged to come early and watch the ceremony live from the jumbotron inside the arena when doors open at 10 a.m. A livestream of the ceremony will also be available on mavs.com.
“Dirk has done so much for the game and for our city. To show our appreciation, we want to ensure his legacy and his jump shot will forever be remembered in Dallas.” Said by Cuban.
During Nowitzki’s jersey retirement earlier this year, a miniature preview of the statue was released as Cuban wanted to give Nowitzki and the fans a special bonus to a night Nowitzki would never forget. There was feedback online of the preview initially, regarding the three basketballs being shot out of Nowitzki’s hands, as he is shooting his signature one-legged fadeaway. It remains to be seen if all three will stay or change to one basketball.
“You see, (we are) going to have to show up and find out.” Cuban says as the curiosity grows.
In his 21 seasons, the future hall-of-fame forward won an NBA championship, MVP, Finals MVP, played in 14 NBA All-Star games and selected to 12 All-NBA teams. Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points per game (PPG) and 7.5 rebounds per game (RPG) in 1552 regular season games. During the playoffs, Nowitzki averaged 25.3 PPG and 10.0 RPG in 145 total playoff games.
The Mavericks organization have shown Nowitzki highly-touted recognition in his post NBA career. From getting his name on a street outside the arena, silhouettes on the court, jersey retired in the rafters and being named a special advisor role. He can now add a statue to that list, a rarity in which few players achieve. There will also be a themed bar and restaurant called “Nowitzki” opening at Terminal C inside the DFW Airport in 2023.
Amongst the numerous achievements in Nowitzki’s career, he will be eligible for the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Expect a unanimous first ballot vote in the spring of 2023.
Categories: 2022-23 Season, Mavs Fans For Life
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