Dirk Nowitzki has a game that is simple yet hard to master. A post presence that is not based on strength, but more about finesse. And we have enjoyed it for so long we sometimes take for granted how boss Dirk is.
But when you get the point of considering retirement like Dirk is, it’s time to set priorities straight. Are you good enough? Is your team legitimate enough for you to win a ring? If these are both a no. Either do something about it or hang them up. Lucky for Nowitzki, it’s a yes for both. He still gets points, his team still gets wins and before Rajon Rondo arrived in Big D, he headed the deadliest offense in the league.
Dirk still has two years left on his three-year deal that he made last offseason with the Mavs and Dirk plans to keep going beyond 2018.
“No. I definitely want to fulfill my contract,” said Nowitzki when asked about retirement. “I signed on for three years last summer and I’m not going to retire after the first year. If I commit to something, I commit to it fully. I’ve got two more years and hopefully make it count, make it good ones. Hopefully deep playoff runs, that’s what we wanted this year. We wanted homecourt advantage to set us up for a nice little run, we just weren’t consistent enough to really get there, so, we’ll see how the next few years play out.”
“Some nights, it’s just not fun. Especially in an 82-game season, there’s just some nights where you just feel slow and things hurt a little bit. Still, I love to compete. I love the process of getting to the gym and working out and trying to get better. What’s harder sometimes is to motivate yourself in the summer. The summer workouts, and then go home with (shooting coach) Holger (Geschwindner) for four-five weeks of every day in the morning: lift, run, shoot. That sometimes is hard to get up with because when I’m here, there’s guys to work out with. Like just now, I’ve got Dwight Powell down there, we push each other, I talk a little crap to him and that’s fun. But in Germany, I work out by myself and then Holger comes at the end and we shoot. So that sometimes gets a little hard.”
Personally I think that he’ll be done once his contract ceases. Not because he won’t be able to get it done anymore but because he just won’t want to go through the season grind anymore.
