Mavs Dirk in Retirement: 'I Can't Believe It's Been A Year'

DALLAS - If you were in the building, or even following on TV or radio or online, you will never forget April 9, 2019, the night NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki officially called it quits after 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks.

April 9 was his final home game - and the Mavs put on quite a show, after the game as planned (with in-person tributes from some of his NBA friends and heroes, including Larry Bird, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Shawn Kemp and Detlef Schrempf) and during the game.

In the game itself? That was magical, too, as Nowitzki scored 30 points, pulled down eight rebounds, and dished out three assists in 32 minutes, helping Dallas beat the Suns.

Can’t believe it’s already been a year. Days like today definitely make me miss it more! Thanks for all love pic.twitter.com/cZVuQXDOyt
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) April 10, 2020

“Can’t believe it’s already been a year,” the 41-year-old Nowitzki wrote on Twitter last Thursday night, on the one-year anniversary of that special evening at the American Airlines Center. “Days like today definitely make me miss it more! Thanks for all love.''

That last home game in front of Mavs fans for the iconic German was special ... and then he did it again the next night, playing on the second night of a back-to-back at San Antonio in a seeming gesture to Spurs fans ... to all of Texas, really. He scored 20 in the loss to the Spurs, posting a double-double.

"So, I know I'll miss the heck out of it, out of everything,'' Dirk said a year ago, "but it's time."

Some wit on Twitter noted sadly that Dirk went away just before basketball itself did the same. Luckily, we have the memories. Luckily, the NBA will someday be back. And luckily, we'll always have Dirk.