NBA Rumors: Dirk Nowitzki Retiring After This Season?
NBA Rumors: After an injury-plagued start to the 2016-17 NBA season, Dirk Nowitzki admits that this could be his final season
Father Time is undefeated. And retirement in the NBA is inevitable. However, when it creeps up on one of our favorite players, we’re never ready for it.
Dallas Mavericks fans, get ready.
If the start of the 2016-17 season is setting the tone for the remainder of Dirk Nowitzki’s career, it’s becoming pretty evident that the end is near. Really near.
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Dirk has only played in five of the team’s first 24 games. And even though Dirk’s plan is to play through the 2018 NBA season, which would be his 20th, the perennial All-Star and future Hall of Famer admits that if injuries continue this could be his final season.
“If things don’t go so well and it hurts everywhere, it could be that 2017 will be the end,” the forward told German magazine Sport Bild.
“Actually, my plan is to complete the 20 years and play for Dallas until 2018.
“But just because I have signed a two-year contract doesn’t automatically mean that I will play for two years. It could happen next year.”
Dirk is averaging 12 points and six rebounds on 36 percent shooting from the field – all career lows, if you remove his rookie season.
It’s pretty clear that Dirk’s days in the NBA are numbered. But I don’t think many expected it to end this abruptly. After all, Dirk averaged 18 points and seven rebounds last season. He also shot 45 percent from the field.
The drop this season, in large part due to injury, has been significant. Which is usually how it tends to happens, even to the most historic of players.
The hope is that Dirk can recover from his most recent injury – a strained right achilles – and can play out the remaining couple years of his contract. Though, that’s becoming increasingly unlikely with every game Dirk misses.
Dirk is still considered “out indefinitely” for the time being.