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Dirk Nowitzki is immortalized with a STATUE of his signature swoon for the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the Christmas game against the LA Lakers… as the franchise legend expresses gratitude for the ‘super special’ honor
- Dirk Nowitzki was honored by the Mavericks with a statue unveiled Sunday
- The sculpture shows his characteristic one-legged faded pose that was so deadly
- Nowitzki is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and led them to their only title
- Dallas beat the Lakers at the American Airlines Arena after the artwork was unveiled
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Before franchise star Luka Doncic scored 32 points in a holiday win over the Lakers, the Mavericks honored team legend Dirk Nowitzki by unveiling a statue of him.
Located outside the team home at American Airlines Arena, Nowitzki’s sculpture stands 24 feet tall and depicts his trademark one-legged fade.
With a host of fans in attendance to watch the unveiling, not to mention Doncic and Mavs coach (and Nowitzki’s former teammate) Jason Kidd, the legendary big man and his son Max pulled the lever to reveal the impressive tribute.
Dirk Nowitzki’s signature swoon was depicted by the statue outside the local Dallas stadium
Nowitzki and his son Max pulled the lever to unveil the statue before the Mavs defeated the Lakers
Nowitzki is the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and is sixth all-time in the NBA.
“It was super special, super emotional,” he said in a video posted on the Mavs’ Twitter account.
And this thing right here will be there forever.
The all-time leading scorer in franchise history with 31,560 career points, Nowitzki led the team to its only championship in 2011 over a stacked Miami Heat team of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
In all his playing years before and after that title, Nowitzki was in Dallas, spending his 21 NBA seasons with the team that drafted him as a lanky 20-year-old from Germany.
The writing at the base of the statue means that: “Loyalty never fades.”
“That’s 21 letters for my 21 years here,” Nowitzki said.
Nowitzki sits with Mavs owner Mark Cuban during the unveiling of the statue Sunday afternoon.
Fans flocked to American Airlines Arena to celebrate Nowitzki being honored by the team.
Doncic and the Mavs beat the Lakers 124-115 after an explosive third quarter where they outscored their visitors 51-21.
The 23-year-old came close to pulling off a triple-double in the contest, as he had nine rebounds and assists each.
Nowitzki, sixth on the league’s all-time scoring list, is expected to be an easy Hall of Fame pick when he becomes eligible next year.