Dallas Basketball

Mavs Legend Dirk Nowitzki Earns HOF Immortalization

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki did it all in his 21-year NBA career, all for the Mavericks, and is officially headed to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame this summer.

Matthew Legros

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Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki will be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Aug. 12, 2023. The news was officially announced along with some of the accolades that earned him his spot:

Nowitzki changed the game and the Mavericks franchise en route to Springfield, MA. After a slow start to his career that was met with widespread criticism from fellow players and the media, Nowitzki elevated his play from his rookie to sophomore seasons and never looked back. 

He led Dallas to the Western Conference semifinals in only his third season, and made them a strong contender against formidable Los Angeles Lakers and San Antonio Spurs dynasties throughout the 2000s. After finally breaking free and reaching the NBA Finals in 2006, he would lose to fellow 2023 HOF honoree Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in six games.

Nowitzki remained faithful to the Mavericks and kept them in the mix for several years after the disappointing loss, though he wouldn't see the Conference Finals or further until 2011 -- the year in which he'd get his revenge on Wade and the 'Big Three' Miami Heat in a shocking NBA Finals upset. This marked the Mavericks' first championship in franchise history, to which he was named Finals MVP.

Nowitzki's patented one-legged fadeaway became one of the most lethal and recognizable signature moves in the history of basketball. His ability to stretch the floor as a 7-footer had never been seen at the level in which he performed, as he became a 50-40-90 club member in his 2007 MVP season, as well as the 2006 NBA Three-Point Contest Champion.

Moreover, Nowitzki's clutch factor late in games rivaled every contemporary superstar of his prime and was a major factor in Dallas' winningness. His unique skillset in putting the ball on the floor and making highly contested shots marveled the Dallas fanbase and NBA world alike, and has made him all the more worthy of Hall-of-Fame honors.

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Matthew Legros
MATTHEW LEGROS

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