Wednesday night, the Dallas Mavericks bestowed one of the greatest honors an organization can give to a player. In an emotional ceremony, the team retired the jersey of the greatest player in the franchise’s history, Dirk Nowitzki.
It was a special moment for Nowtizki, the Mavericks, and fans. Yet, through all the lights and production, the man of the moment did everything he could to deflect the attention on him and instead praise the countless people who surrounded him through his NBA journey.
He thanked NBA Commissioner Adam Silver for being in attendance; Mavericks Governor Mark Cuban for believing in him; both Donny and Don Nelson; former head coach Avery Johnson; Rick Carlisle; all the assistant coaches he worked with; Rolando Blackmon, Derek Harper, Brad Davis–who all have their jerseys retired; Steve Nash and Michael Finley; all his former teammates; the 2011 NBA Championship team; the Mavericks staff–physical therapists, doctors, equipment team, public relations, security, American Airlines Center staff; FIBA officials; the German national team; Nike and ING; the media; Holger Gerschwinder; his family; and the fans.