The former basketball star Dirk Nowitzki is apparently given a very special honor.
According to a media report, the 44-year-old is one of six legends who will be inducted into the Hall of Fame of the North American professional league NBA this year. The official announcement will be made next weekend. The other longtime NBA stars to be inducted into the Hall of Fame are Dwayne Wade, Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, Becky Hammon and Gregg Popovich, according to the ESPN report.
Nowitzki had played for the Dallas Mavericks from 1998 until his retirement in 2019 and had matured into one of the best players of his generation during this time. In 2007 he was voted the NBA’s most valuable player, and in 2011 he led the Mavericks to their first and only NBA title to date. In his honor, Nowitzki’s long-standing jersey number “41” is no longer assigned by the Mavericks, and a statue of the Würzburg player was also unveiled in front of the Texan arena at Christmas 2022.
