Wednesday saw a final farewell to Dirk Nowitzki, a true professional basketball icon.
The shot clock on Nowitzki’s 21-season career reached zero in his final game played against the Spurs in San Antonio.
“He’s on the other team, but if you’re a basketball fan, you will truly appreciate him because he’s offered so much to the game,” Gene Harkey of Austin said. “He is the namesake of the Mavericks by far. They’ve had other great players, but he’s the man.”[[508445212,C]]
Nowittzki broke down into tears on the court when he heard his name announced one last time. The emotions continued throughout the game with fans for both teams cheering on his every move.
“Well, I’m going to miss him. He was a superstar,” Harkey said. “To me he was the first big man that shot the three pointer very well. He’s a great person. He seems like a tremendous teammate.”
The Spurs made a tribute video for the future hall-of-famer and the crowd constantly chanted “MVP” during the game.
“I’ve always known him as a Spurs killer. When he played against us. He played real good, He’s a good player,” Spurs fan Jimmy Alfaro said.
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Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the team will retire Nowitzki’s number (41) and said there would someday be a statue to the 7-footer at the American Airlines Center.
