A statue of Dirk Nowitzki now stands outside of American Airlines Center, just off the street that bears his name.
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban promised a grand statue for the player who helped deliver the franchise its only NBA championship, and he was true to his word. The white-bronze statue depicting Nowitzki's signature one-legged fadeaway jumper is nearly 24-feet tall.
Nowitzki - sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 31,560 points after spending his entire 21-year career with the Mavericks - helped unveil the statue by pushing a lever with the help of his son Max.
Get Boston local news, weather forecasts, lifestyle and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NBC Boston’s newsletters.
“It was emotional,” Nowitzki said. “When the thing went up, felt like the sun was just perfect today, just shining right on it."
The statue was designed by artist Omri Amrany, who has also created statues for NBA legends like Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal.
Current Mavs star Luka Doncic and several of his teammates attended the ceremony before defeating the Los Angeles Lakers 124-115. Mavericks coach Jason Kidd, Nowitzki's teammate on the 2011 championship team, was also on hand for the statue unveiling.
Sports
News, videos, and rumors on the Boston Celtics, New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, and Boston Bruins, powered by NBC Sports Boston.
“They picked the right move,” Kidd told reporters of the statue. “I don’t think they were going to use the swipe (on defense) or him passing the ball. You see his stats on passing? He was a ball hog.”
The base of the statue includes the inscription "Loyalty never fades away" in honor of Nowitzki playing 21 seasons for one franchise, an NBA record.
Nowitzki said that winning the NBA championship - by defeating LeBron James in his first season of the "Big Three" era with the Miami Heat - allowed him to remain with one team rather than chase a title.
“I'm so happy I didn't have to do that and it worked out this way,” Nowitzki said. “Once we won the championship, I knew I wanted to be here and finish my career here.”
The next honor for Nowitzki will be the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was nominated for the 2023 class alongside fellow first-time candidates including San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, retired Spurs guard Tony Parker and Heat star Dwyane Wade.
