Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki has been entitled to his statue at the entrance to the American Airlines Center since Sunday.
The former unstoppable German strong winger, who played 21 seasons in the jersey of the Mavs, is one of the rare NBA players to benefit from such a tribute.
The words "
Loyalty never fades away
" were inscribed at the foot of this statue, to underline his loyalty to the Texas franchise, which he raised to the roof of the world in 2011 .
Here is Dirk Nowitzki in the same galaxy as Michael Jordan, Wilt Chamberlain, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal or Jerry West.
Namely so many legendary basketball players entitled to a statue in front of the basketball hall of their franchise forever (or almost).
The Dallas Mavericks thus inaugurated on Sunday, at the entrance to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, a beautiful bronze statue dedicated to the former unstoppable German strong winger (44), author of 21 seasons in Texas.
Loyalty Never Fades Away.
@chime // #AllFourOne pic.twitter.com/mKsvlBHywP
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 25, 2022
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With the key obviously the surprising NBA title of 2011 against the Miami Heat of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, a coronation of MVP of the regular season in 2006-2007 (a first for a European), and 14 participations in the All Star Game.
Noël's work measures more than 7 meters and obviously represents his signature gesture, this famous
one-legged fade away
, a one-footed shot made during a backward jump that quickly became almost indefensible in the NBA, in view of the size of the forecastle (2.13 m).
“That guy was a killer!
»
At the foot of the statue, one can read an inscription with a nice play on words: “
Loyalty never fades away
” (“Loyalty never fades”).
A sentence symbolically composed of 21 letters, to mark Dirk Nowitzki's 21-year loyalty to a franchise that he was able to draw from anonymity almost single-handedly.
Retired since 2019, the German already has a street in his name in front of the Dallas hall, and his number 41 was permanently retired by the Texas franchise almost a year ago.
This ceremony brought luck to the Mavs, winners (124-115) in the wake of the Lakers of LeBron James.
This one has also split a beautiful tribute in the direction of Dirk Nowitzki: “He is a legend, an icon.
I think he's the greatest international [outside the USA] player of all time.
I place it at the very top with Manu Ginobili.
What he brought to this franchise, to this city… This guy was a killer!
He revolutionized the position of strong winger who deviates, and the idea that one could have of an interior.
You could never counter him because his shot went out the back of his head, Larry Bird style.”
A characteristic which therefore led to one of the greatest disappointments of the entire career of a King James not resentful on this one.
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