Dirk Nowitzki sets NBA record in season debut

Dirk Nowitzki made history on Thursday when he stepped onto the court against the Suns for his 21st season as a Maverick.

Published : Dec 14, 2018 22:24 IST

Dirk Nowitzki (41)
Dirk Nowitzki (41)
lightbox-info

Dirk Nowitzki (41)

Dirk Nowitzki made history on Thursday when he stepped onto the court against the Suns for his 21st season as a Maverick, setting the record for most seasons with a single team.

Nowitzki, 40, was tied with Kobe Bryant at 20 seasons before making his 2018-19 debut. He finished the night with two points in six minutes in the 99-89 loss.

“Obviously the wind wasn’t great. There was a stretch where I went back-and-forth a couple of times, then I fell over like a tree at some point because I was so tired," Nowitzki told reporters after the game (via Mavs.com). "But it was good to be out there, and I’m sure my wind is going to get better as we go.”

Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle added (via NBA.com): “All things considered he did fine, did well. This is a challenging situation for Dirk. Coming back in and re-accumulate mid-stream, with no real live practice time to speak of, but he has been busting his butt big time. I respect the hell out of him for what he has done to get back on the floor.”

Nowitzki had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle just before the end of last season. The 13-time All-Star was on schedule to be ready for the start of this season before suffering a major setback. He was experiencing tendon soreness before the start of training camp in September, which forced him to push his timeline back.

Nowitzki remains the seventh-leading scorer in NBA history with 31,189 career points. 

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment