Dirk Nowitzki announces retirement after Dallas Mavericks victorious home finale
Wednesday 10 April 2019 09:55, UK
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Dirk Nowitzki called time on his stellar 21-year career after scoring a season-high 30 points in the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Phoenix Suns
Dirk Nowitzki finally announced his decision to retire after giving a rousing performance in the Dallas Mavericks' home finale on Tuesday.
It was a decision everyone had expected, even though Nowitzki had yet to make it official, but the forward has now declared he is ending his 21 years with the Mavericks.
"Wow. I'm a little overwhelmed, as you would think," Nowitzki told the sellout crowd after the Mavericks' 120-109 victory over the Phoenix Suns. "As you guys might expect, this is my last home game."
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Nowitzki made his much-anticipated retirement announcement after delivering a season-high 30-point performance, with five three-pointers, against the Suns.
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Nowitzki scored 30 points to lead the Mavericks to victory over the Suns in the final home appearance of his 21-year career
NBA Hall of Famers including Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, a player Nowitzki idolised growing up, were in attendance to witness Nowitzki take his final bow in front of his adoring home fans.
The 14-time All-Star and sixth-leading scorer in NBA history (31,540 points) finished the game with eight rebounds, three assists and a block in a season-high 33 minutes.
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Nowitzki's final season didn't actually begin until mid-December thanks to a longer-than-expected recovery from ankle surgery.
Image:Nowitzki holds the record for the most NBA seasons played, with 21
From there, he mostly came off the bench for the first time in his career and averaged 6.6 points in fewer than 15 minutes a game.
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