As if he hadn’t done enough already, Dirk Nowitzki just cemented his place as one of the greatest athletes in the history of Dallas-Fort Worth.
And it’ll only cost him $50 million.
Nowitzki, the epitome of “Mavs Fan For Life”, was technically a free agent this summer. And he got invitations to talk with the Rockets and Lakers, both of which were prepared to offer him a max contract of three years and $74.292 million. Instead, he agreed to take a steep pay cut and stay with the Mavs, the only team he’ll ever play for during his Hall-of-Fame career.
How steep? Instead of the $75 million over three years, he’ll settle for $25 million. To ensure that the Mavs had the financial flexibility to acquire Tyson Chandler and pay Chandler Parsons and re-sign Devin Harris, Nowitzki agreed to take a pay cut: from $23 million in 2014 to $8 million in 2015.
Think about that for a second.
Nowitzki will be the Mavs’ fourth-highest paid player next season, behind Chandler, Parsons and Monta Ellis. How many companies can you name where the all-time best and longest-tenured employee isn’t the highest paid?
Dirk isn’t the player he once was, and he knows it. But he’s still the competitor he’s always been. And with this impossibly selfless gesture, it’s clear he’s not satisfied with just the one championship ring in Dallas.
Local
The latest news from around North Texas.
Appreciate him even more. If that’s possible.
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.
