By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Dirk Nowitzki signed a new contract with the Dallas Mavericks becoming the first player to be with a single NBA team for 21 seasons. The legendary German forward surpassed Kobe Bryant after tying the record of 20 seasons the “Black Mamba” spent with the Lakers.
According to Shams Charania, the deal between Nowitzki and the Mavericks is for one-year and $5M.
Per Mavs.com:
The Dallas Mavericks announced today that they have re-signed 13-time NBA All-Star Dirk Nowitzki. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Nowitzki is now set to begin his 21st season with the Mavericks, which will be an NBA record for a player to suit up for a single franchise (previously tied at 20 seasons with Kobe Bryant and the L.A. Lakers).
He has guided the Mavericks toward many of the team’s greatest achievements. Nowitzki led Dallas to its first-ever 60-win season in 2002-03, first NBA Finals appearance in 2006, a franchise-high 67 wins in 2006-07 and to the organization’s first World Championship when the Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.
Nowitzki (7-0, 245), the most decorated Maverick in franchise history, is a 13-time NBA All-Star, earned All-NBA Team honors 12 consecutive years (2000-12), was named Most Valuable Player of the 2006-07 season and was MVP of the 2011 NBA Finals. He is a six-time Western Conference Player of the Month, a 16-time Western Conference Player of the Week, has competed in the All-Star Saturday Night Three-Point Contest four times, was the 2014 Magic Johnson Award recipient and was named the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year in 2017.
The career Maverick holds averages of 21.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 34.4 minutes in 1,471 games (1,440 starts) and holds the franchise’s top-spot in several categories including points, rebounds, field goals, three-point field goals, free throws, blocks, games, starts and minutes.
In the NBA Playoffs, Nowitzki’s game elevates to average 25.3 points, 10.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 40.6 minutes in 145 postseason games (145 starts). He has led the Mavericks to three Western Conference Finals and two NBA Finals while moving into first place in several of the franchise’s postseason categories including points, rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, field goals, free throws and games.
On March 17, 2017, Nowitzki became just the sixth player in NBA history and first international player to register 30,000 career points. He currently sits at 31,187 career points, just 232 points behind the great Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) for fifth place on the all-time scoring list. Among other all-time NBA lists, he ranks 27th in rebounds, eighth in field goals, 11th in three-point field goals, sixth in free throws, fifth in games and third in minutes.
Nowitzki has also served as a pioneer for European players becoming the first European-born player to earn First Team All-NBA (04-05), start an All-Star Game (2007, Las Vegas) and be named the MVP (06-07).
The Wurzburg, Germany, native was the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft and was acquired through a draft day trade with the Milwaukee Bucks. Nowitzki re-signed with the Mavericks on Oct. 22, 2001. He then signed a contract extension with Dallas on Sept. 26, 2006, re-signed on July 9, 2010, re-signed again on July 15, 2014, re-signed again on July 27, 2016 and re-signed once more on July 6, 2017.