Dallas Mavericks have a treasure in the person of Dirk Nowitzki

There comes a player for every sports franchise that defines that team, its city and its fanbase, and for the Dallas Mavericks that player is Dirk Nowitzki.

Less than 20 years ago, the Dallas Mavericks pulled off the biggest draft day move in franchise history. By sending Robert Traylor off to the Milwaukee Bucks for a blonde, seven foot-tall German, they changed the course of the team. While some saw it as a very risky move, they brought the perfect guy to town for the job ahead.

Many Mavericks fans were unfamiliar with Dirk Nowitzki. They honestly saw him as some experimental guy. Some thought general manager Donnie Nelson was simply out of his mind. Now 18 seasons later, he leads the franchise in games, minutes, field goals, points, and a slew of other major categories. But what he’s done on-the-court is only what makes him great. It’s his life outside of basketball that makes him a legend.

A fantastic personality

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Just listen to or watch a few minutes of an interview with Nowitzki and you’ll get a glimpse of the type of person he truly is. While he’s one of the hardest-working players in the NBA, spending hours working out and perfecting his jump shot, he never takes himself too seriously.

For example, he chatted with NBA TV’s “The Starters” about his covered meals, his haircut and playing in the dunk contest. As many know, he’s notorious for taking “leftovers” to work with him before every game. Apparently he finds it as funny as we do, and has fun explaining it to anyone that asks.

He went on in the video to joke about “blacking out” after coming down with a big dunk in a game. Nowitzki, of course, was making fun of himself that he couldn’t believe he’d slammed down a jam like that, either. Known more as a pure shooter and a perimeter guy, Dirk dunks are rare — especially in his older age.

Of course, who can forget the “Take Dat Wit Chew” craze that obviously led to the Mavs title in 2011? The fact that he participated in additional footage for that music video should prove how awesome his personality is. He’ll whip your butt on the court and then make you laugh with the post game interview. That’s a rare talent right there and a treasure to behold. But that’s still only part of who he is.

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A generous heart

Nowitzki doesn’t just win the hearts of the American Airlines Center faithful. He also has a heart for this community, and the least of these within it. The article posted on the Dallas Mavericks website Tuesday talks about how Dirk spent his Monday.

He visited a six-year-old little girl named Tatum Teague from Richardson, TX. Tatum is a leukemia patient at Children’s Medical Center of Dallas. Apparently he’s visited her often enough that she knows him as “Uncle Dirk.” He’s visited her routinely since around Christmas of 2015. Honestly, if that doesn’t bring tears to your eyes, then there may be no hope for you.

But to those that are familiar with Nowitzki, this stuff comes as no surprise. He’s hosted charity baseball games, tennis tournaments and other events to raise money for incredible causes. That’s why he started the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation. On his own website, he writes:

"With the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation I want to help provide education, health and well-being for these children and to make a difference in their lives."

An incredible legacy

His relationship with this community goes far beyond anything he’ll do on the court. Yeah, seeing the Larry O’Brien Trophy come to Dallas in 2011 was something I’ll never forget. But if we could get even a second one but never have Dirk doing what he does for Dallas/Fort Worth, then I don’t want it. He uses his platform to make this community better, and that’s an amazing thing.

I know his retirement looms within the next couple of years. But considering all he does even with a full NBA schedule on his hands, imagine what he can do in retirement. He’ll have a job in the Mavericks front office, that’s for sure. And if he can spread some of that generosity to other younger players within the organization, then we all win.

Next: The good and the bad about Nerlens Noel

Nowitzki will go down as one of the greatest to ever play the game. But beyond that, he’s a wonderful human being and someone this metroplex needs. He will retire sooner rather than later. But until that happens, let’s continue to enjoy watching him play a game we love for the team we love. And when he’s done, we’ll admire the giant statue of a guy from Germany doing the “Stork Fadeaway,” and it will be epic.

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Dallas Mavericks have a treasure in Dirk Nowitzki

By Stephen Francis | Jul 26, 2017