Getty Former Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki.
Santa is coming early for Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. Well, sort of anyway. Instead of a sleigh plied down with packages (an MVP trophy, anyone?) for Luka Doncic and lumps of coal for departed star Jalen Brunson, there’s just one, lonely gift. And instead of Santa, I of course mean Dallas Mavericks governor, mouthpiece, and Shark Tank celebrity Mark Cuban.
On Friday, Cuban announced that the Mavs would be unveiling a statue in Nowitzki’s honor this season, with the official ribbon-cutting set for Christmas Day.
“Dirk has done so much for the game and for our city,” Cuban gushed. “And to show our appreciation, we want to ensure his legacy and his jump shot will forever be remembered in Dallas.”
Dirk Nowitzki’s statue will be revealed on Christmas when the Mavs host the Lakers, via @sixfivelando.
Deserved. 🔥🔥
By Cuban’s remarks, it sounds like the statue will feature Nowitzki pulling off his signature step back. Who could forget Nowitzki’s trademark one-legged fadeaway? Over the summer, Bleacher Report even commemorated the signature move by naming it one of the league’s most lethal in the modern era.
Nowitzki’s Fadeaway Named Seventh Deadliest in Modern History
In early September, Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey compiled a list of the NBA’s filthiest signature moves in modern history. And along the trip down memory lane that included Allen Iverson’s deadly crossover appeared the Mavs legend. His signature fade came in at No. 7.
“Dirk Nowitzki being seven feet tall made his basic jumper hard enough to defend,” Bailey wrote. “Adding a fade and a knee in between the release and the defender made it borderline impossible to bother.
“The one-legged fadeaway was revolutionary for big men and basketball in general.”
Nowitzki’s move wasn’t just hard to defend against. It was dang near impossible. And since, countless others have sought to emulate the big man’s signature move. That includes Joel Embiid, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ superstar center. In a game against the Mavs in April 2021, Embiid whipped out Nowitzki’s signature move against the legend’s old team. After the game, Embiid reached out to Nowitzki to show respect for his elders. Nowitkzi responded in kind, explaining that he was “honored” by Embiid’s play.
“He texted me the day after and said, ‘I had to show respect to you and shoot it on your silhouette.’ My silhouette is now on the Mavs’ floor, and he said he had to shoot one for me. That made me of course feel really good. I’m honored that he thinks it’s a good shot to have,” Nowitzki explained Takeoff with John Clark.
The Mavericks will unveil Nowitzki’s statue on Christmas Day. And Dallas will take on a familiar opponent on the holiday: the Los Angeles Lakers.
Nowitzki Has Strong Career Stats Versus Lakers
Over the course of his 21 seasons, Nowitzki regularly squared off against the gold and purple squad. In fact, Nowitzki’s 69 games against the Lakers are bested by just six others: the Nuggets, Rockets, Warriors, Thunder, Suns, and Spurs.
Through those 69 games, Nowitzki posted a shooting rate of .457/.386/.838. Yeah, not too shabby. Add in an average of 26.5 points per game against the Western Conference foe, and it’s only fitting that Nowitzki is to be honored on Christmas.
Keep those numbers in mind with the time period. Nowitzki was putting up those stats while the Lakers were perennially great, with Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and others during the early to mid 2000s.