As the Mavericks open training camp, even the normally modest Dirk Nowitzki can’t contain his excitement.
“We got all the talent in the world,” Nowitzki told the media on the dawn of training camp at American Airlines Center. “We just got to make it work. The chemistry has got to be there.”
Having swung and missed at big-fish free agents like Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in the past couple of summers, Nowitzki entered camp with low expectations. But after the acquisitions of Tyson Chandler and Chandler Parsons, it’s obvious the giant German thinks his team in the back in the mix atop the NBA.
“I feel like we got better again,” said the 36-year-old Nowitzki, embarking on his 17th NBA season. “I think every summer, that should be the franchise’s goal. You never want to stay the same or take a step back, especially in my situation as you get older. You want to get better and want to compete like we did in 2011. I feel like we got better and took a great step forward, but we all know how tough the West is. It’s going to be tough to break into the top four. The teams up there are loaded and stacked. But we’re going to go in with a fresh mindset in training camp, work hard for four weeks and then enjoy, hopefully.”
A native Texan who was born in Duncanville and graduated from UT-Arlington, Richie Whitt has been a mainstay in the Metroplex media since 1986. He’s held prominent roles on all media platforms including newspaper (Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Dallas Observer), radio (105.3 The Fan) and TV (co-host on TXA 21 and numerous guest appearances, including NBC 5). He currently lives in McKinney with his wife, Sybil, and two very spoiled dogs.
