Dirk Nowitzki says he is coming back for a 20th NBA season

Dirk Nowitzki isn’t hanging them up yet.

Dirk Nowitzki isn’t ready to call it quits on his legendary NBA career. The Mavericks icon told reporters Thursday that he plans to suit up again next season. 

Nowitzki, who will turn 39 in June, has spent his entire NBA career with the Mavs. Next season will be his 20th in the league and the final year on his current contract. Nowitzki also said Thursday that he would consider returning for a 21st season if he felt as good next year as he does. 

Dallas missed the playoffs this year for only the fourth time since Nowitzki arrived. It was only second time in the Nowitzki era that the Mavs finished with a losing record. 

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Nowitzki missed 24 games early this season with an Achilles injury, appearing in just 54 games this year. He also played the fewest minutes (26.4 per game) of any year since his first in the league. 

In March, Nowitzki surpassed the 30,000-point plateau, becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to reach the mark.