By Dorothy J. Gentry
Sports Editor
Photos: Dorothy J. Gentry
For 21 years he was the face of the Dallas Mavericks and a beloved athlete in this city.
On Christmas Day, the gift that has been Dirk Nowitzki was immortalized in front of his family, friends, fans and former teammates on a chilly but sunny day.
Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks unveiled a 24-foot statue of Nowitzki – featuring his famous one-leg fadeaway – outside the American Airlines Center.
“It was emotional,” said Nowitzki, the only NBA player to spend all 21 seasons with the same franchise. “When the thing went up, felt like the sun was just perfect today, just shining right on it.”
The statue sits on the side of the AAC on a street named after him – Nowitzki Way. Earlier this year his jersey was raised to the rafters of the AAC and he is eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
Not bad for a kid from Germany who would end up spending all 21 of his years in the NBA with one team in one city.
“You earned it for every fan of the Dallas Mavericks, for every fan of Dirk Nowitzki,” Cuban said.
The white bronze statue was made by Omri Amrany, who also designed a few sculptures of other NBA legends, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain.
Nowitzki currently sits sixth on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaderboard with 31,560 points. He has been named to 14 NBA All-Star rosters, 12 All-NBA rosters and he won an MVP and a Finals MVP.
“Be the best you can be,” Nowitzki responded when asked during a news conference with media what he wants his legacy to be.
“Bring everything out of your talent, don’t leave any stone unturned…that was on the court. And I think the coolest thing off the court was how I grew into this community.”
The statue includes the shoes and jersey Nowitzki wore during 2011 season – they year they won the NBA Title. At the bottom of the statue, it reads: “Loyalty never fades away.”
A message containing 21 letters to represent Nowitzki’s 21 years with the Mavs.
