The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation is holding its 7th annual Tennis Classic on Sept. 13, and ahead of the event, the Dallas Mavericks legend sat down and talked about his foundation, incoming Mavs rookie Cooper Flagg and whether it was time for fans to move on from the Luka Doncic era months after the blockbuster trade.
The Doncic trade rocked the franchise and sent fans into a frenzy, with many protesting Nico Harrison at Mavs games and other events. Even recently Harrison was still being heckled by fans over the decision.
Nowitzki acknowledged that the Mavs and Doncic have moved on but wouldn’t say it was time for fans to move on.
“I can’t speak for what the fans should do,” he said. “I think they have every right to be upset or still have their feelings hurt if that’s the case. Everybody has to make that decision for themselves. I know obviously both teams, both organizations, have moved on, and Luka has moved on, just signed an extension, and the Mavs have moved on, got the No. 1 pick.
“So I think we’ll just have to see how the season is going. I think that’s what everybody’s looking forward to. But if the fans are still upset, that’s understandable. I mean, that’s a once-in-a-generation talent, obviously, that was traded basically away from them.”
The Germany native also pointed to his own history, saying that the NBA was a business, and sometimes, fans and players won’t agree with management’s decisions.
“I learned that early in my career, when I thought me and Steve Nash are going to finish our careers together, and next thing you know, overnight, he’s gone,” Nowitzki said. “And so I learned then, this is not just a bunch of friends playing basketball, this is a business. There are business decisions that you might not like.
“Stuff happens in this league all the time and so I just learned to kind of move on and have thick skin, and I know, obviously, a long time ago when Steve left, I was upset. But you know what? I had a job to do. I had to play and had to do the best for this franchise, because that was my job. It’s not always the most popular decisions being made.”
While Nash wasn’t traded, the Mavs let him walk in free agency in the 2004 season due to injury concerns. The point guard went on to win two MVPs with the Phoenix Suns, a decision then-owner Mark Cuban called the biggest mistake of his tenure.
However, it ended up working well for all parties, with Nowitzki and the Mavs winning the 2011 NBA championship and Nash having a Hall of Fame career.
Some of Mavs fans’ pain at losing Doncic was blunted when the team received the No. 1 overall pick and used it to draft Duke product Cooper Flagg.
Nowitzki, the ninth pick in the 1998 draft, acknowledged the pressure facing Flagg, especially following himself and Doncic.
“He is under lot of pressure,” Nowitzki said. “I don’t think, I mean, I was the ninth pick, but I don’t think I had the pressure that he has had now as the No. 1 pick. But, you know, at the end of the day, you learn you have to embrace the pressure and work through it.
“Of course, there’ll be some times where it’s a little tougher and you’re not playing that well, but those are the times you lean on your circle, on your family, on your mentors, on your teammates. He’s super young, so it’ll be a learning curve, but I think this guy, the way you can already see the way he moves and plays on the court, he’ll be an all-time great.”
The Hall of Famer hasnt yet met Flagg, but said he was excited to meet the rookie during his tennis classic and would help him in any way he could.
“It’s super special that he’s actually coming out to our event,” Nowitzki said. “Following his career ever since, really, he was in high school, and he was the phenomenon on social media. ... Looking forward to getting to know him a bit, spend a little bit of time with him. Like I said, anytime he ever needs me, I’m a phone call away.”
The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation supports children through programs focusing on health, well-being and education.
Nowitzki is in the 24th year of his foundation and explained why it was important for him to continue to give back to the North Texas community.
“It always brings me back to when I first moved to Dallas, and I didn’t know anybody, and, struggling my first year, and people were so nice and supportive and loyal to me and wanted me to succeed,” he said. “I’ve never forgotten how that made a young German, new here, how that made me feel, and so that’s really where the whole loyalty and everything started, with the city being so great to me and supportive.
“And so I always said, obviously, I want to be part of this community, and then I ended up staying my whole career here. Of course, trying to help out and give back and make this place a better, better place, better city, and hopefully change lives for people.”
Tennis Classic information
The Dirk Nowitzki Foundation 7th Annual Tennis Classic will be held at Banner House at T Bar M in Dallas. Tickets are on sale starting at $164.79.
Participating celebrities include Nash, Flagg, former Texas Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus and former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah.