Cuban jokes about Nowitzki's incessant whining: 'It's hard to listen to him'
Dirk Nowizki is out, but he hasn't been silent.
An Achilles injury has sidelined the Dallas Mavericks big man for the majority of the campaign, and his team has struggled to say the least.
At 3-14, the Mavs have the worst record in the NBA and are severely at risk of falling out of the playoff picture for only the second time in the past 17 years.
They're a far cry from the club that Nowitzki led to its first championship six years ago, and the 7-foot German continues to lead ... now vocally, from the bench.
"It's hard to listen to him," team owner Mark Cuban joked to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. "The dude bitches like a m-----f-----."
Even though Nowitzki has taken some hometown discounts so the organization could surround him with talent and remain competitive, Dallas has won only five playoff games in as many years since capturing the title and stripping down that team.
Cuban repaid the 38-year-old for his loyalty with a two-year, $50-million deal this past summer. So far, Nowitzki has been putting up just 12.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. He's shooting a career-low 35.8 percent from the field and has been several steps slow defensively.
Cuban doesn't expect the poor run to affect the future Hall of Famer's legacy.
"Dirk is dignified, no matter what he does," the 58-year-old said. "He doesn't need any help. Everything about his career, everything about his personality, everything about who he is, there's going to be dignity no matter what the circumstances. So I don't worry about that."
The soonest Nowitzki will return to action is Monday versus the Charlotte Hornets.