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Dirk Nowitzki: "I would definitely say the skill level of the bigs has been incredible to watch. The evolution of the bigs when we first got in the league, 90s and 90s, the fours and the fives were bigs. If the four could stretch the elbow, that would be a stretch four. And just rebound, our bigs, run a ton of cross screens, and so then the game has changed once they start putting in the five-second back-down rule, they put in some zones, so things started shifting. And you know, now it's just everybody has to spread the floor, shoot the ball, bring the ball up, some fours, fives initiate offense, bring it up, or the guard is denied, all, I'll run the, I'll run the point guard spot for a position or two. So, yeah, I feel like the skill level, just watch Jokic can do anything on the court for, for bigs, it's just been, it's been incredible to watch, so I'm super proud of being a small part of maybe, you know, the evolution of, of the bigs."
Dwyane Wade: We don't win back-to-back championships if we don't go through that. If we win that, we may not win again because we gonna be we gonna talk so much. I mean, we were hated. So, if we win this, we are ‘I told you so.’ And I told you so is not going to put you in a mindset that you need to be in to make sure you're ready to compete and prepare for the next season and next season, next season, right? God knew what he was doing. He knew not to give us that. He knew we needed to go and continue to earn it. Dallas made us earn it, man. I give them a lot of credit. I know it's a lot of conversations with ’06 and ’11. Me, as I told Dirk (Nowitzki), me and him, man, our stories, we just it just goes like this. You know, 06, we didn't supposed to get it. And know in 11, they didn't supposed to get it. But actually, we were. And so, I'm thankful for Dallas for beating us in the 11. Even though that was my finals MVP I was going to go get, cuz I was balling, we wasn't a team that we needed to really be. And you see it in those moments. That's the moments where you get to see what you're really made of. And I realized in those moment we're actually not who we think we are and they were, they more of a unit. They're more together. They executed when need to be. We wasn't executing and the rest is history.
Dirk Nowitzki has developed a relationship with Cooper Flagg and says he remains available to the Dallas Mavericks’ young star whenever he needs advice. Nowitzki, who spent his entire 21-year NBA career with Dallas, said he has stayed in contact with Flagg and occasionally reaches out after watching him play. “We met a few times, and we’re obviously in contact. I write him a few things when I see something. So, he knows that I’m in his corner whenever I want him to succeed and do well. But like I said, he’s so far ahead of the curve already at that age. But if there’s ever anything that he needs, I’m more than happy to help.”
Dirk Nowitzki revealed that when Steve Nash left Dallas their relationship suffered, but it has changed a lot over the years. "I think it went from super hot to very cold to super hot again. There was a phase when he left us where things were a little chilly," he explained. "We have really reconnected in retirement more and more. Started traveling together with our families. It's like all of the early 2000s all over again, so it's been super fun reconnecting with him like that again and he's one of my best friends."
Steve Nash joked that he's had enough of Dirk, but ultimately reiterated the idea that it means a lot to be friends right now. "Yes, I'm sick of Dirk. Entirely way too much time together," Nash quipped. "But it's been an incredible journey to play with someone in very impressionable formative years in the league together to both persevere and build careers for ourselves and then be friends and family friends for life.”
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"I am dying to know how Amazon year one went on the media side. Did you love it? Are you like, I am in this for a long time? How was the media side full-time?" Dirk Nowitzki: "It was hard at the beginning. I've been out obviously seven years out of the league, and so at the beginning, it was just trying to catch up. The players have turned over, the front offices, the coaching, and the style is all different. I played catch-up there for the first couple of weeks. I wanted to know all the teams that were on, so I was watching a lot of hoops and going back the next day and trying to analyze. I was freaking myself out a little bit there in the first couple of weeks."
Dirk Nowitzki on Jalen Brunson: "I got to say I was skeptic when he went to New York as a franchise player there in that market. He's a quiet guy, shy guy to go to that market, in that media market. I was a little worried, but man, has he been unbelievable on and off the floor and really carrying this franchise and so well-deserved to win the championship, bring the championship back there after 50-something years. Finals MVP, it's been an incredible run. I didn't see that development coming from him. I knew he was super solid already in his rookie year, he's smart, he knows how to get to his spots, but I didn't think he's going to have a franchise player type ceiling in him."
Dirk Nowitzki: "Everybody knows that I pulled back there for a while. There were some things done that I didn't agree with and I kind of just pulled back from the franchise. But I know Masai for a long, long time. We've already had some discussions on what's going to transpire in the future and he obviously wants me to be a part of the Mavericks. But all these things are very early and very soon. Of course, I have my job as an analyst and with FIBA I'm on the board, so I travel a ton. There's nothing really imminent here in the near future, but I'll always, as we know, a Maverick for life."
Dirk Nowitzki reflects on the passing of Don Nelson: "That was a tough one, you know, and and I had just seen him when we gave him the lifetime achievement award in June and he looked good and and he held a little speech and he was funny. That hit me hard that he went downhill so fast now. Every time something like this happens, you go down memory lane a little bit and look at old photos and watch old films with him. He meant so much to me in my career. He's helped me with his system that when I came, it was perfect for me and he always gave me the confidence to play my game. He just saw the game a little different than most coaches and he really was a vital key piece for me to find my confidence, find my game, let me shoot threes, let me bring the ball up. It was perfect."
“We'll have to wait and see how they all come together, obviously, with the new coach, with a new system, and a new coach. How is he going to transition? I've heard great things about him; about his leadership, about his work ethic, about how he approaches and talks to the guys. I think he'll be loved by the players,” Nowitzki said. “But it'll be interesting to see. What kind of plays is he running? What kind of system is he establishing — how does he want to play? But the big thing is, obviously, Kyrie coming back after a whole year off. “I've seen some clips on social media in the last few weeks. He looks great. He looks shifty. He still looks explosive. To see Kyrie with Coop sharing the court will be super, super exciting. He kept some veterans around. He got some new players. You need to have Lively healthy, obviously; that's a big key. But I think they got some nice pieces. If they execute well with Kyrie and Coop on the court, that could be a dangerous combo.”
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In an interview with DLLS Mavs, Nowitzki shared that he had discussions with Ujiri on a potential comeback to the franchise. "Everybody knows that I pulled back there for a while, there was some things done that I didn't agree with and I kind of just pulled back from the franchise. But I know Masai for a long time. We've already had some discussions on what's going to transpire in the future and he obviously wants me to be a part of the Mavericks," Nowitzki detailed.
NBA Courtside: Draymond Green says the real argument is a championship for a number one option as big as winning the regular season MVP: “That’s the actual argument. Not, oh, is it 11 or 12th men on the team. That’s not the argument. And no one’s trying to argue that. That’s bullsh*t. But a first option, Allah Jalen Brunson or MVP. I would love to know Dirk who won one championship and won MVP. I would love to know which one he loves most. Which one gave him the higher sense of accomplishment? One thing’s for certain, I know people talk about Dirk’s championship in 2011 far more than they talk about Dirk’s MVP in 07.”
Tomer Azarly: If you could go back and team up with any player in NBA history all-time, who would it be? Can you even pick just one? Chet Holmgren: Ooh, that's a tough one. Yeah, I don't know. Can I maybe give a starting five? Obviously Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, I'd say like OKC Kevin Durant, and one more. I'd say 2011 Dirk Nowitzki.