After "pulling back" on his relationship with the organization he spent two decades with, Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki opens up about the possibility of getting more involved again.
Dirk Nowitzki's separation from the Dallas Mavericks organization went deeper than his retirement from his playing career after the 2018-19 season.
The Hall-of-Fame power forward has been candid in the past about his disapproval of the team's decisions in recent years, but in typical Dirk class, he remained a supporter of the city and the team in general terms.
Knowing that he'd spent over two decades with the club, that bond was nearly unbreakable.
However, the old Mavs administration certainly gave a run at threatening fans' sanity and commitment. The trade of All-Star point guard and former Nowitzki teammate Luka Doncic was obviously a determining factor in Nowitzki, to use his own term, "pulling back" on his connection to the franchise.
On the DLLS Mavs podcast, Nowitzki joined veteran insider Marc Stein to describe his current relationship with the team now that Masai Ujiri has taken over as president and director of basketball operations.
"I've known Masai for a long, long time," Nowitzki said. "We've already had some discussions about what's going to transpire in the future, and he obviously wants me to be a part of the Mavericks. But I think all these things are very early and very soon."
Nowitzki added that he's staying busy. He serves on the international board for FIBA and is entering his second season as an analyst for Prime Video's NBA coverage, where his studio work is alongside Steve Nash, Blake Griffin, Udonis Haslem and others.
Nowitzki also remains heavily involved in the Dallas community through his foundation. The eighth-annual Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic is scheduled for Sep. 19 at Banner House at T Bar M in north Dallas.
"There is nothing really imminent here in the near future, but I'll always - as we know, [I'm a] Maverick for life," Nowitzki added. "[I'd] love to be around and maybe one even come around more and more, maybe have some input at some point. ... We'll see what the future still holds.
"I'll always wish the Mavs well and always follow the team obviously closely, and we'll see what kind of season they'll have."
Stein noted ESPN's win projection for Dallas at 32 victories for the 2026-27 season, a coincidental reference to the jersey number of Cooper Flagg, the Mavs' new star who enters his second season as the unquestioned No. 1 option.
The Mavericks also return Kyrie Irving and Dereck Lively II, who each missed most if not all of the season with injuries.
Still, Nowitzki leaned toward Dallas surpassing the 32-win projection in his prediction for this season. He also stated that Lively's health is a major factor in that success, along with Flagg's development into a true superstar.
