Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is having a hard time staying on the court.
Nowitzki has only played in five games this year thanks to injuries, which has put his retirement plans in doubt. It’s no secret the future Hall of Famer had planned on playing 20 years with Dallas, meaning he’d stick with it through the 2018 season.
Now, though, Nowitzki doesn’t sound so sure. He talked about this season potentially being his last if he body doesn’t respond, according to Sport Bild:
If things don’t go so well and it hurts everywhere, it could be that 2017 will be the end. Actually, my plan is to complete the 20 years and play for Dallas until 2018. … But just because I have signed a two-year contract doesn’t automatically mean that I will play for two years. It could happen next year.
It’s a tough turn of events for Nowitzki, who only averaged 12.2 points on 26.2 minutes over his five games this season. His numbers in 2015-16 had actually improved on the year prior, suggesting Nowitzki wasn’t close to being done.
Realistically, there isn’t much of a reason for Nowitzki to rush back to the Mavericks right now. The team is suddenly mired in one of the league’s most significant rebuilds and has won only six games this year. If he’s returning to a playoff-caliber team fine, but Nowitzki might find it best to take it easy this year so he can hopefully contend for a title in 2018.
As Nowitzki himself notes, though, his body might not allow him to make it 2018. After losing legends such as Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan, the NBA can ill afford to see Nowitzki hang it up before he desires.
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