Nowitzki confirms he'll return to Mavericks for 20th season

The Germanator is going to make it an even 20 seasons in the Association as a member of the Dallas Mavericks.

Sharpshooting forward Dirk Nowitzki said Thursday he'll return for the 2017-18 campaign.

As for playing beyond 20 seasons, he added that he'll "leave all that open," since it will ultimately come down to his health.

Nowitzki's announcement indicates management is willing to pick up his $25-million team option, which would be a no-brainer considering how important he is to the organization, as well as the fact he's taken pay cuts in the past to aid in retooling the roster.

He's mentioned on numerous occasions that the reason he elected to sign a two-year contract last summer is because that's how many more seasons he felt he had left in the tank at the time. Nowitzki also believes competing for 20 seasons - just like Kobe Bryant - from age 20 to 40 would be "another great accomplishment."

The 38-year-old suffered an Achilles injury which cost him a good chunk of time at the start of 2016-17, later acknowledging that any long-term pain could force him to retire earlier than he'd hoped.

Nowitzki recovered, though, averaging 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds on 46.1 percent shooting from the field and 36.7 percent from 3-point range after the All-Star break.

He needs 1,159 more points to tie Wilt Chamberlain for fifth on the all-time scoring list. Nowitzki also needs to connect on seven more shots from behind the arc to match Rashard Lewis for 13th in 3-pointers made.