Nowitzki will receive key to the city of Dallas
It goes without saying that after two decades of service both on and off the basketball court, Dallas will always open its door to future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki.
That bond will be formalized at halftime during the Mavericks' game against the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday evening, when Nowitzki will be presented the key to the city of Dallas by Mayor Mike Rawlings.
"Nowitzki is being honored not only for his professional achievements in his 20 seasons with the Mavericks organization, but also for his outstanding contributions to the community," city officials said in a statement, as relayed by NBCDFW's Eline de Bruijn.
The Dunking Deutschman has yet to play this season due to lingering foot soreness, but he's posted career averages of 21.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game since being drafted ninth overall by the Mavericks in 1998. He's also been selected to 13 All-Star teams, was named the NBA's Most Valuable Player in 2006-07, and led Dallas to its lone NBA title in 2010-11, for which he was named Finals MVP.
Nowitzki will be the third person to receive a key to the city from Rawlings since he was first elected mayor in 2011.