In the final two games of his brilliant career, Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki turned back the clock and gave us a glimpse of the transcendent player he was in his prime.
Sure, those outings were against the woeful Phoenix Suns and a San Antonio Spurs team with little to play for and yes, the Mavericks basically spoon-fed Nowitzki the rock. That being said, both performances served as the perfect send-off for a player who not only vitalized a desolate franchise, but also reshaped the narrative surrounding European players.
There wasn’t much to cheer for prior to the Nowitzki era, but even the most unwatchable Mavericks teams trotted at least one player who could keep the offense afloat with some sort of scoring production.