By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
It’s now official! Dirk Nowitzki has signed his new contract with the Dallas Mavericks and will close his remarkable career in the team with which he made his NBA beginnings.
The Mavs‘ announcement:
During his 18-year tenure in Dallas, Nowitzki has guided the Mavericks toward many of the franchise’s greatest achievements. Nowitzki led Dallas to its first-ever 60 win season in 2002-03, first NBA Finals appearance in 2006, a franchise-high 67 wins in 2006-07 and to the organization’s first World Championship when the Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. He is currently the longest-tenured player in the NBA with one team.
Nowitzki (7-0, 245), the most decorated Dallas Maverick in franchise history, is a 13-time NBA All-Star, earned All-NBA Team honors 12 consecutive years (2000-12), was named Most Valuable Player of the 2006-07 season and was MVP of the 2011 NBA Finals. He is a six-time Western Conference Player of the Month, a 17-time Western Conference Player of the Week, has competed in the All-Star Saturday Night Three-Point Contest four times and was the 2014 Magic Johnson Award recipient.
The career Maverick holds averages of 22.0 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 35.3 minutes in 1,340 career games (1,309 starts) and holds the franchise’s top-spot in several categories including points, rebounds, field goals, three-point field goals, free throws, games, starts and minutes.
In the NBA Playoffs, Nowitzki’s game elevates to average 25.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 40.6 minutes in 145 postseason games (145 starts). He has led the Mavericks to three Western Conference Finals and two NBA Finals while moving into first place in several of the franchise’s postseason categories including points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, field goals, free throws and games.
Last season, Nowitzki became just the sixth player in NBA history to register 29,000 career points and passed Shaquille O’Neal for sixth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Among other all-time NBA lists, he ranks 30th in rebounds, 12th in field goals, 15th in three-point field goals, seventh in free throws, 12th in games and 11th in minutes.
Nowitzki has also served as a pioneer for European players becoming the first European-born player to earn First Team All-NBA (04-05), start an All-Star Game (2007, Las Vegas) and be named the MVP (06-07).
The Wurzburg, Germany native was the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft and was originally acquired through a draft day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. He re-signed with the Mavericks on Oct. 22, 2001, signed a contract extension on Sept. 26, 2006, re-signed on July 9, 2010 and re-signed again on July 15, 2014.