Dallas Mavericks basketball will never quite be the same without Dirk Nowitzki. Yes, the team had a run of success starting in the mid-80s, but that ended in 1990. The Mavs quickly slipped into a decade long playoff drought and became one of the least popular teams in the league. Dirk Nowitzki changed all that. He made the team a winner, brought Dallas a championship, and was a trailblazer to a new era of NBA basketball.
Dirk’s retirement left the Mavericks with a massive hole. His jersey retirement, statue, and Hall of Fame induction are coming, but it may never feel like enough.