Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki retired from basketball in 2019 after 20 years in the NBA. During his final year he played alongside then-rookie Luka Doncic who took over reigns of the team from the German forward.
If he could turn back time, Nowitzki would retire two years earlier because of the health issues. In an interview with German footballer Toni Kroos he admitted that the Mavericks were not playing well during his last two years in the NBA and that he himself could not move the way he used to.
Playing for two seasons in such condition affected his ability to move after retirement. “I keep thinking whether the last two years in the NBA were really worth it,” Nowitzki said, per Shawn Jacob.
“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 all that now.”
The full episode of Einfach mal Luppen podcast with Dirk Nowitzki (in German):
