Nowitzki was wanted by Boston in the 1998 NBA Draft before the Mavericks snuck in front of them to grab him.
After passing Shaquille O'Neal last week, only five people in the history of planet Earth have scored more points in the NBA than Dirk Nowitzki. He's the alpha and omega of this Maverick franchise and the greatest athlete the city of Dallas has ever seen. He'll have a large marble statue in Victory Plaza after he retires in 2052.
Nowitzki and the Mavericks seem inextricable, but the two were almost separated before they could even begin.