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Sports NBA Article Xgtiger Casino unveils a fading statue of Dirk “German Jesus” Nowitzki unveiled at the Dallas Mavericks arena at the American Airlines Center (AAC) on December 26 in honor of his contributions to the franchise.
The statue, erected outside the AAC, is Dirk’s signature one-legged fadeaway—a move that gave Dallas its first NBA crown in 2011. The future Hall of Famer revealed it to the rest of the public including his son Max.
“It was emotional,” Nowitzki admitted. “When the thing went up, [it] looked like the perfect sun today, shining on it.”
Los Angeles Lakers coach Darvin Ham even described it as “awesome.”
“That jump shot, just going up into the sky, creating all kinds of rain,” he said.
Mavericks owner Mark Cuban promised the statue. He told Nowitzki in 2019 that he would have the “biggest, most badass statue ever,” which he delivered.
“What would this day be, this great honor, without my family here? Thanks, guys, for going all the way, [and] for all this support.
“This is for you too. What makes it so special is that we have three generations of Nowitzkis here today. This thing will be here long after we are gone, and other generations can come here and be proud,” said the former Dallas star at the ceremony.
The ceremony was held near “Nowitzki Way,” the street named after him. The statue has been under work for several years, with Dirk and Holger Gerschwinder working with artist Omri Amrany to commemorate his iconic one-legged fadeaway jump shot.
Looking back at the Moment
Dirk Nowitzki is the only player with a 21-year career with a single team. He was also the reason Dallas had its first chip.
Going back to the 2011 NBA Finals against the superteam Miami Heat, Nowitzki fought through all the battles by beating Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh. He is also the reason why the three superstars could not make a three-peat.
James praised his former rival for unveiling the statue.
“He’s a legend, an icon … that kid is cold.”
In that Game 6, the German Jesus recorded a double-double (21 pts, 11 rebounds, and an assist) to knock the Heat down 105-95, ending the series 4-2.
New dawn
Since Dirk Nowitzki retired in 2019, Dallas has found a new superstar in Slovenian phenom Luka Doncic. The now-23-year-old athlete even played with the upcoming Hall of Famer during the 2018-2019 NBA season.
“He looks amazing, and he deserves it,” Doncic said at the statue ceremony.
Now, he is the face of the franchise, which Dirk has cherished for 21 years. He is also proud of his predecessor with 33.7 points per game, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.9 assists on 50.7% shooting.
Moreover, more Xgtiger Casino online casino players are looking forward to seeing the Mavericks play because of him. Recently, he broke Nowitzki’s single-game scoring record when he put up 60 pts, 21 rebounds, and ten assists against the New York Knicks on December 28. More impressively, he did it to come back and win the game 126 -121 in overtime.
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