Dirk Nowitzki is finally set to make his debut for the Dallas Mavericks against the Phoenix Suns on December 13, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The former MVP missed the team’s first 26 games due to recovery from surgery on an injured ankle, which kept him sidelined much longer than originally anticipated.
The veteran knows the road back from injury for a player his age is no cakewalk, and recently spoke about what to expect when he does make his long-awaited return:
“Rhythm will be tough,” Nowitzki said recently. “The last game I played was the end of March. Nobody just takes seven months, eight months off and comes out balling. It’s going to be a process for me playing against NBA players, [especially] the speed of the game these days. It will take me probably a couple of games to get used to it, but we’ll see how it goes.
Dirk’s debut will mark the beginning of his 21st season, putting him alongside just five other players in NBA history (Moses Malone, Kevin Willis, Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett, and Vince Carter). The German native will also hold the record for most NBA seasons with one team, breaking a tie with former Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant.
With rookie Luka Doncic looking like a star in the making, this season could be the storybook ending for the Dallas Mavericks and Nowitzki’s career – with the team moving on from one crafty European star to another. Nowitzki will likely play exclusively from the bench for the first time since his rookie campaign, looking to replicate his averages of 12.0 points and 5.7 rebounds in 24.7 minutes per game from last season.
