Mavs Legend Dirk Nowitzki Admits He Should Have Retired Sooner

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki recently opened up about the toll his final two NBA seasons took on his body, and the challenges he faces.

After playing 21 seasons in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki set a record for the most seasons spent with the same organization. 

It takes a lot physically to gear up and sustain high-level performance throughout a full season, especially when doing it as a 7-footer. Doing that for 21 seasons at the highest level possible can take a real toll. Those last two seasons for Nowitzki featured appearances in 128 games and 2,695 minutes.

For Nowitzki, he continues to think about whether it was worth playing during the last two seasons of his career. He feels that if he had retired two years sooner, he could participate in more physical activities with his kids—something he says he can't really do at all now.

"I keep thinking whether the last two years in the NBA were really worth it," Nowitzki said during an appearance on Real Madrid's midfielder Toni Kroos and his brother Felix's podcast Einfach mal Luppen (h/t Basket News).

"Of course, there were highlights, but we didn't perform well on the court, and I couldn't even really move anymore. If I had quit two years earlier, I could probably move better today and play soccer with the kids sometimes. I can't do that at all now."

Nowitzki admits that, in the moment during the final portion of his playing career, he was still having fun and the motivation was still there. The end of his spectacular career even intersected with the very beginning of Luka Doncic's young NBA career, which led to some iconic moments and photos that will live on in Dallas forever. Because he was having fun, though, finding the proper time to retire was a challenge for Nowitzki.

"It's always hard to find the right time when you stop. You're still having fun, the body is still halfway functioning, and the motivation is still there," Nowitzki admits. Since being retired, Nowitzki tries to play tennis a few times per week, but faces some limitations in doing so.

"It's really a super awesome sport, really fun. But when you can't move properly anymore, it's hard. We still play a few times a week, but I can't move much anymore. Most of the time, I just hit a few forehand shots from the baseline in the doubles," Nowitzki said.

We've all heard when athletes say they 'gave it their all' during their playing careers, and Dirk Nowitzki can certainly say he did that for the Dallas Mavericks.