The Dallas Mavericks reached the NBA Finals again last year after 13 years. Dirk Nowitzki expressed his enthusiasm for the development of “his” franchise in a podcast. The Mavs legend also outed himself as a big fan of new signing Klay Thompson.
“I’m very proud of what we’ve been able to build here with the Mavericks,” Nowitzki said on the DLLS Sports podcast. “Luka Doncic is our cornerstone and then we were able to add Kyrie Irving and all the other pieces to the puzzle. The fact that we made the Finals and were able to get Klay Thompson, who is a great fit for this team, is great. I’m happy to cheer for this team,” Nowitzki added.
The Mavs marched into the finals last year as the 5-seed for the first time since 2011. The Texans beat three heavyweights – the L.A. Clippers (4-2), Oklahoma City Thunder (4-1) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (4-1) – before the Boston Celtics (1-4) proved to be too strong in the finals.
Nowitzki is also familiar with the feeling of defeat in the finals, having lost to the Miami Heat led by Dwyane Wade and Shaquille O’Neal five years earlier before the 2011 triumph. Accordingly, Doncic and Co. should keep their heads up. “Luka has to carry on like this. I know that wasn’t the end of the line. He’s still at the beginning, he’s only 25 years old,” Nowitzki noted.
“Sometimes it’s good to feel disappointment because it motivates you to work even harder to become a better player.” With Thompson, Doncic now has further support; the 34-year-old is one of the best shooters of all time and has won four championships in his 13 years with the Golden State Warriors.
During the offseason, the guard was already seen in Mavericks gear, including a video in which Thompson wore a Nowitzki jersey. “That’s touching,” Nowitzki said when asked about it. “I know him a little bit from my last All-Star Game and I talked to him a little bit when the Warriors were here,” the 45-year-old revealed.
“I think I get along well with him and there’s respect on both sides. It’s an honor for me that one of the Splash Brothers is now wearing the Mavericks jersey. “
