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One of the toughest things to do in the NBA today is for a star or superstar player to stay with the same team for their entire playing career, as the league has become all about player movement and players not staying with teams longer than half a decade at most.
Although the league has shifted into an era of constant player movement, with stars regularly changing teams and potentially playing for multiple franchises before they call it quits, a few iconic players have been able to pull off that feat, like Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Even though Nowitzki’s name was mentioned in trade rumors during his career, and some believed he may leave in NBA free agency at some point, the German import stayed loyal to the Mavericks and played every minute of his career in Dallas.
On a recent appearance on “The Big Podcast with Shaq,” Nowitzki was asked by Shaquille O’Neal why he stayed in Dallas for over two decades, unlike the four-time NBA champion who played for six teams before retiring.
“At the beginning, I really didn’t know what to expect, but people here were great to me,” Nowitzki said. “People were loyal to me and made me feel welcome at the beginning. They wanted me to succeed and having a great relationship with Mark [Cuban]. I just sort of felt like I owed it to the city and the franchise to make it work here.”
Dirk Nowitzki on why he stayed in Dallas his whole career
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Even though it might be a stretch for some players in today’s game to stick around as long as Nowitzki or to play with one team, Luka Doncic might be able to follow in the Hall of Famer’s footsteps, as it isn’t beyond the realm of possibility he stays in Dallas for his entire career.
However, he might be the exception, aside from possibly Stephen Curry with the Golden State Warriors and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.
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