A year has passed. Another Christmas nears. Quietly, Dirk Nowitzki a few days ago continued his decade-plus tradition of visiting Children's Medical Center Dallas, this time without me.
Last December, Uncle Dirk, as he's come to be known at Children's, graciously allowed me to shadow him during his visit. The idea was to shine a light on the brave kids, their families, the miracle workers at Children's by sharing a story that never had been told.
Uncle Dirk.
I knew my tagging along was a one-time thing, though. Because if we know one thing about Dirk Nowitzki beyond his greatness as a basketball player, it's that he prefers his numerous off-the-court deeds to remain private.