Jerome Miron-US Presswire
A snippet from a recent tweet-interview had Dirk Nowitzki answering a question with regards to his NBA future. He said that he would finish the last two years of his contract and see how he feels afterwards. By the time 2014 rolls around, Dirk Nowitzki will be 36 years old and it may or may not be the right time for him to retire. Similar to Kobe Bryant’s comments, Dirk is winding down his career and he may want to explore other ventures sooner rather than later.
Dirk is coming off a season in which he averaged lows of 21.6 points and 6.8 rebounds. The lockout may have played a role in him entering the season out of shape, but it’s clear that he is no longer the player he once was. He is a player that doesn’t rely on athleticism though and his shooting touch will not go anytime soon. This year will be an interesting barometer on whether he could still go two years down the line. If the advantage of a full training camp puts him back on track and have a resurgence of sorts, then he may have no problems playing past 2014. But if he struggles next year and have another regression, then he may have second thoughts on playing past it.
Dirk is a rare type of talent in that his speed and ball-handling ability hasn’t been seen since Larry Bird. Dirk is a legit 7 footer with the skills of a guard. As a fan, losing him to retirement will definitely sadden me. But I also don’t want him to overstay his welcome and play to the point where he is no longer as productive as he is now. I’d want him to go out on top and have a retirement like Reggie Miller, instead of that of Shaquille O’Neal. Reggie played for the Indiana Pacers for all his career and he led his team to the playoffs playing over 30 minutes a game in his final year with the club. Meanwhile Shaq played for three more teams after Miami and had a hard time staying on the court in his last year.
In the end though, the decision is up to him and when he does choose to retire, he will be a player that will truly be missed and will be a sure fire future First-Ballot Hall of Famer.
