This last weekend Dirk Nowitzki completed his long post-retirement journey, where he was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. I asked the staff what their favorite part of the weekend was.
Matt: The Mavs/Spurs rivalry was and is very real, but watching Coach Pop go in as only he can - just enough gruffness to live up to his reputation (shushing people in the crowd and hitting the broadcast with an “I’m not done” as the music started to play), but also some really heart-warming moments like Becky Hammon’s speech. Pop, waiting to enter the hall until after his Big Three of Duncan, Ginobili, and Parker went in before him was a touching storyline, and although Pop is still around (and maybe around for a while long now that he’s got Victor Wembenyama to tinker with), that group going into the Hall is definitely era-defining.