Dirk Nowitzki spent his 21 years in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks, a record that could stand for a long time. The German now spoke in a podcast about the new superstar era and the numerous forced trades.
“This is definitely new,” said Nowitzki when he was in Crossover Podcast from AND was asked about the numerous trades pushed by superstars in recent years. “At the beginning of my career we felt that the players had too little power and the owners too much, so that they could control everything.”
Now, according to Nowitzki, the tide has turned, but not only for the better: “It might even be a bit too much. We need a better balance. Nowadays, players force their departure, that wasn’t an option for me at the time.”
The highlight was the Brooklyn Nets trade with the Philadelphia 76ers when James Harden wanted to leave after only 13 months and was traded for Ben Simmons, who wanted to leave the team with a four-year contract.
In the past five years alone, All-Stars have pushed eleven trades, with Harden and Paul George involved twice. For Nowitzki, on the other hand, this would not have been an option. “I was old school,” said the Würzburger. “I don’t want to sit here and judge the people who do this. Everyone has to decide for themselves what’s best for them and their families. For me it was Dallas and it worked.”
After the 2011 championship at the latest, it was clear to Nowitzki that he would also end his career there. Without a title, the 43-year-old would have started thinking: “I could have tried somewhere else to win this ring. But that would have been the only reason why I would have left Dallas.”
Nowitzki played for the Mavericks between 1998 and 2019 and won the only title in franchise history in 2011. Since the win over the Miami Heat, the Texans have been waiting for a series win, also because they haven’t had home field advantage in the playoffs once since then.
