Dirk Nowitzki has officially announced his retirement after playing 21 seasons in the NBA.
Dirk officially announces that he is retiring. 😢😢 (via @NBATV) pic.twitter.com/z0UYrvgGBq
Dirk makes it official at 10:27 p.m. “As you guys might expect, this is my last home game.”
Dirk Nowitzki says he is indeed retiring. Twenty-one seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. Future Hall of Famer. What a career.
Dirk made a season-high 30 points in his final NBA game. Dallas beat the Phoenix Suns 120-109.
“A DUNK! A DUNK! A DUNK!” Dirk threw it down for the home crowd. 😂 (via @dallasmavs) pic.twitter.com/hy9A0XoMPt
Back in February of this year, Dirk was asked if he would be playing next season. "I think I'm going to make that decision later on, but I think the future's bright," Nowitzki said. "I think Luka and KP, if they stay healthy, stay together, they should be a great combo. They should play great off each other [...] They should jell well, but we have to see how it goes next year." He continued: "I'd love to be there for the young guys one more year, but I think it depends on how the body feels [...] I've had some issues, obviously, this year. I had some knee swelling here the last few weeks, actually before the All-Star break, so it's not all great. But like I said, I am feeling better. I am feeling a little stronger"
Dirk has played with the Dallas Mavericks for all 21 seasons of his NBA career. He's the only player in NBA history to have played for a franchise for that amount of time.
Since 2016, the NBA has said goodbye to a lot of legends. End of an era. 😢 pic.twitter.com/d2C6rcp5tc
Dirk's announcement came on the same night of Dwyane Wade's last game.
The legends turned back the clock tonight.
Salute to these two icons. #OneLastDance pic.twitter.com/jh0UobNgQ3
