DALLAS MAVERICKS' OFFICIALS and select staffers, past and present, packed the team's plane along with members of Dirk Nowitzki's inner circle. The flight was bound for Springfield, Massachusetts, in August 2023, to celebrate the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame induction of the most legendary figure in franchise history.
Mavs general manager Nico Harrison made the trip. He wasn't especially close to Nowitzki, but their relationship dated more than two decades to when Harrison began his career at Nike as an NBA regional field representative based in Dallas.
Casey Smith, Dallas' director of health and performance, was also part of the team's traveling party for the weekend.