Mavs’ Dirk Nowitzki Reveals Hall of Fame Speech Details
DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki is among the latest class to be inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, with the induction ceremony set to take place in Springfield, Massachusetts, on Saturday.
"This is a big week. I can't believe it's it's actually here," Nowitzki said in an opening statement. "You hear so much about whatever people say you're a first ballet and you go in the Hall of Fame and you're kind of just shrugging it off as, as a great compliment. And now we're actually here.
"It still feels super surreal. I'm excited, but also of course, a little anxious and nervous for this weekend," Nowitzki explained. "We just got back from our travels last weekend. It's been a couple of busy days and I'm already going up to the hall tomorrow. Got some stuff already coming up Thursday, so can't wait to go."
"It'll be an exciting weekend with plenty of friends and family flying from all over the world," Nowitzki explained further. "So, we're looking forward to a great time."
Nowitzki has a busy weekend scheduled ahead with the festivities ahead. He is nervous ahead of making the speech, but envisions a surreal feeling when he receives the jacket and ring in addition to being inducted as a member of a loaded class of legends of the game he competed against.
"I just cannot believe that, first of all, it's four years already that I'm out of the league, and now the time has already come that I'm going in," Nowitzki said. "And I think the whole weekend will about be sort of surreal. At some point, I always have to kind of stop. I know there is the itineraries packed every minute probably, and I just have to make sure sometimes I stop and reflect it a little bit and really still enjoy what's going on.
"When I make the speech on Saturday, I want to get up there but still enjoy and not be too nervous that I really can't enjoy the magnitude of this moment," Nowitzki explained. "It's going to be fun. We're getting the jackets and the ring on Friday night, and then the induction ceremony is on Saturday night.
"The whole thing will be unbelievable going in with an incredible class, with people that I've known and competed against for a long time," Nowitzki explained further. "I'm looking forward to it."
Nowitzki has been working on his Hall of Fame speech for the past few months. He doesn't want to focus on telling stories about his playing career, but rather, he'd like to express his appreciation for the people close to him that played an instrumental role in helping him to achieve success.
"I've been working basically off and on, on the speech for the last couple months, ever since I heard that I'm going in and you kind of sit down and you write some people down that you don't want to forget, and then you write down some, some memories," Nowitzki said. "Then you kind of left it alone for a few weeks and we traveled a lot, and then I kind of came back to it again and maybe wrote some other thoughts down. At the end of the day, for me, it's just another thank you speech. I'm so thankful to all these people that have helped me along the way and that's what I will look at it.
"I'm not going to tell that many stories. It's more to me about, at the biggest stage, giving thanks to all of the people that were involved in my career," Nowitzki explained. "And what was funny to reflect on was really a little bit of my childhood when I speak to my parents and my sister, I think I'll get a little emotional for stuff that they've done and put their lives on hold at the time. They drove me from one event, from tennis to handball to basketball. What they've done and then Holger, meeting him at age 15 and some of the workouts we were doing, I think those were the memories besides the championship and the big moments — those were some of the coolest reflections."
Before Nowitzki gives his Hall of Fame speech, he will be presented by his former teammates and fellow Hall of Fame inductees, Steve Nash and Jason Kidd. He wanted Don Nelson to be a presenter, but was unable to do so since there is a requirement for any presenter to be a member of the Hall of Fame.
"I actually wanted three," Nowitzki said. "I wanted Nellie to be there as well, but, unfortunately, he can't make it. Obviously, the presenters have to be Hall of Famers and the two I played with are still great friends of mine," Nowitzki said. "That was a no brainer and I asked both, 'Hey, do you guys mind sitting on stage? And I mean, as a presenter you don't really have to do anything.' They would've come for me anyways. Now they just sit there behind me instead of in front of me, but super honored obviously, that they both agreed to come. And I know they both have families and busy schedule in the summer, and so it means a lot that both are coming.
"I'm still super close with both J Kidd, who I see all the time and with Steve, we travel now, we bring our families together all the time, and so both mean a lot to me," Nowitzki explained. "They both meant a lot to me during my career. I'll be excited to see them and spend some time with them this weekend. I'm just honored that they said yes."
For Nowitzki's family, the experience is surreal, but he does believe his children are mostly too young to fully understand the gravity of the situation. He looks forward to re-visiting the Hall of Fame with grandchildren in the future, when that time comes.
"I think the whole thing is still surreal for them, too," Nowitzki said. "I don't think they really understand well what I've really done, they watched me towards the end of my career, and all they know is probably, 'You were so slow.' I have go to YouTube and it's all grainy, but I try to pull up some stuff from the early two thousands, but they're not really having it.
"They're still young. I think my daughter understands the most. She's 10 now, and I think she's mostly embarrassed about the whole hoopla or when people recognize me when we travel and she goes, 'Oh God.' And she just walks the other way," Nowitzki explained. "She's a shy kid that just doesn't like when we get all the attention and as a family, and so she understands most, I'm not really sure they understand this Hall of Fame weekend.
"They keep saying, 'We're going to Massachusetts, right?' But they don't really understand what it means, I guess, especially the boys, but 10, 20 years down the line, it'd be so cool to go there again and see my space or whatever and see my name there," Nowitzki explained further. "That's something that I look forward to maybe with grandkids at some point when it gets to that point and take them there. That'll be a super emotional but also a proud moment when it gets to that spot."
When reflecting on the relationship that Nowitzki has established with the Dallas community, he still views it as a surreal experience when fans come up to him to share the impact that being able to watch him play had on their life.
"It's still a little surreal, but it's still amazing," Nowitzki said. "Especially when I was fresh out and I just have retired and when I moved around the city, how many people came up to me and said they appreciated me and what I've done and how it might've gotten them through some tough times in their lives just by playing a simple sport. That meant a lot to me.
"I'm still traveling the world and people approach me all the time or like, appreciate what you've done and played your heart out for two decades," Nowitzki explained. "That means a lot, but the smaller kids don't recognize me anymore now, so I'm already out for five years. There are other guys that are hotter, but usually the parents still recognize me, but the young kids are like, 'Who's the big guy?' And then the parents are like, 'Don't you know this?'"
Nowitzki is set to be inducted into the Hall of Fame with a class that features Tony Parker, Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, and Gregg Popovich.
Grant Afseth is a Dallas Mavericks reporter for DallasBasketball.com and an NBA reporter for NBA Analysis Network. He previously covered the Indiana Pacers and NBA for CNHI's Kokomo Tribune and various NBA teams for USA TODAY Sports Media Group. Follow him on Twitter (@grantafseth), Facebook (@grantgafseth), and YouTube (@grantafseth).
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