No matter what we think about the NBA as an organization, it’s important we always consider the totality of what the league is doing. It’s easy to rail against NBA leadership and the team owners about rules and player personnel issues that seem to hit the news wires more often than they should. Still, there are times when the league gets it right.
In what could be their final seasons as professional basketball players, future Hall of Fame players Dwayne Wade and Dirk Nowitzki have been selected to participate as NBA legends in the 2019 All-Star game scheduled to be played on February 17 in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to BettingNews.com.
Both players are NBA champions and both players have played at an elite level through most of their careers. Wade began his career in 2003 after being selected as an All-American guard out of Marquette. In this his 17th NBA season, Wade will be able to look back with great pride at a list of accomplishments most NBA players can only dream of as players. His list of honors includes NBA scoring champ (2008-09), 3x times NBA champion, All-NBA selections, All-NBA defensive team selections and a 13-time NBA All-Star.
Nowitzki’s long and storied career will always be remembered for what he brought to the NBA. When he entered the league as a drafted rookie out of Germany in 1998, no one could have imagined the impact he would have on the league. He quickly became one of the greatest basketball players to come from overseas and make a dramatic impact on the game. He made clear that other countries could also produce great basketball players. Standing at 7’0”, he also made clear a big man could be a great shooter from the outside. Often criticized for his unwillingness to mix it up on the inside with other big men, Nowitzki would answer by shooting the lights out from the outside. His honors include NBA MVP (2007), 5x All-NBA First Team selection, NBA champion and Finals MVP (2011) and now 15-time NBA All-Star selection.
This year’s team captains Lebron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will each get a chance to choose one of these fine legends during the All-Star game selection process. After choosing their starters followed by the reserves, each team captain will select the legend to represent their respective teams.
The possibility of Lebron getting a chance to select his best friend and teammate during their championship years in Miami (Wade) is almost as enticing as Antetokounmpo getting a chance to choose the man (Nowitzki) who paved the way for other European big men to become great players in the NBA.
They say the NBA All-Star game is a game played strictly for the fans. When Wade and Nowitzki are introduced in what will most likely be their last All-star games, the league can be proud they in fact honored two great NBA legends and the fans at the same time.
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