Editorial

Mark Cuban And Dallas Mavericks Unveil Dirk Nowitzki Statue Outside Stadium

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Governor Mark Cuban and his Dallas Mavericks unveiled a statue on Christmas day for the legendary Dirk Nowitzki. [Twitter/Screenshot/Public — User: @coopmavs]

[Twitter/Screenshot/Public — User: @coopmavs]

Andrew Powell Sports and Entertainment Blogger
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You know you’re a legend when a statue is made of you, and Dirk Nowitzki is certainly a legend.

Dirk Nowitzki played his final home game for the Dallas Mavericks in 2019. That night, governor Mark Cuban issued a promise that he would have the “biggest, most badass statue ever” put in front of the American Airlines Center to honor the legendary NBA champion.

Cuban has delivered on that promise.

“It’s a promise that gives me joy to deliver on, because you earned it,” Cuban said to Nowitzki on Christmas just minutes before the almost-24-foot-high statue was unveiled. Even cooler, it was just steps away from a street named after the legend a few years ago: Nowitzki Way.

The statue made of white bronze features Nowitzki’s famous one-legged fadeaway jumper, which is also featured as silhouettes on both ends of the court at the American Airlines Center. Nowitzki made the shot so iconic that it eventually became known as “The Dirk,” with the legend using the shot to climb up the NBA‘s all-time scoring list to the No. 6 spot.

Much deserved.

Dirk Nowitzki doesn’t just have a championship ring with the Mavs — he also produced a sexy career stat line nearly averaging a double-double with 20.7 PPG and 7.5 RPG. On top of that, he nearly hit the 50% mark in shooting with a tally of 47.1% from the field. Just absolutely flashy numbers, and this is exactly why this man is getting a statue.

I like Dirk Nowitzki. He’s most certainly a legend and definitely deserves a statue, but man, it brings up some bad memories for me personally. See, the status is from the 2011 NBA Finals when the Dallas Mavericks won the championship, and who did they beat that year to win the ring?

My Miami Heat. (RELATED: The Lakers Are About To Sink Even Lower In The Standings After MVP-Caliber Anthony Davis Goes Down With Foot Injury)

Now, I know most people enjoyed it because LeBron James was a part of the Heat that season, but believe it or not, I used to be a big LBJ fan (sounds funny with how much I dislike him now) — at the end of the day, he was on my team and helping us win championships. And then when he left Miami (breaking my heart and taking all the glory away), I joined everybody on the bandwagon of hate.

But that’s what it reminds me of — pain — because I remember exactly how I felt after that Finals loss.

But whatever, enjoy your stupid statue. (But seriously: Good stuff, Dirk. You deserve it.)