The white bronze work, measuring more than 7 meters, represents him performing his favorite gesture, the step-back (step back) on one foot when arming his shot, which made him a player. often impossible to defend.
This tribute is not the first received by the German interior in Dallas.
The 2011 NBA champion already had a street in his name in front of the franchise hall in Dallas while his number, 41, was permanently retired last January.
At the base of the statue, one can read the inscription "Loyalty never fades away" ("Loyalty never fades").
The sentence, made up of 21 letters, refers to the loyalty of the German, who will have known only one franchise in 21 years of career in the NBA, before retiring in 2019.
Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki makes a speech before the inauguration of a statue in his likeness on December 25, 2022 in Dallas © Ron Jenkins / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / AFP
In addition to winning the NBA title in 2011, Dirk Nowitzki, 14 times All-Star, was also the first European elected MVP of the regular season (2006-2007), and is, still today, the sixth best marker in the history of the North American League.
Other stars also have their statues: Shaquille O'Neal, Magic Johnson and Jerry West in front of the former Staples Center of the Lakers in Los Angeles (pending that of Kobe Bryant), Michael Jordan in Chicago and Wilt Chamberlain in Philadelphia.
© 2022 AFP