Dirk Nowitzki had no idea why LA Clippers coach Doc Rivers called a timeout with 9.4 seconds remaining and his team leading by nine points Monday night.
He would soon find out when he grabbed the microphone and gave an impromptu tribute to Nowitzki while urging Clippers fans to give the legend a standing ovation.
“Dirk! Dirk!” Rivers hollered, gesturing to the Staples Center crowd to show its appreciation to the all-time great who was playing perhaps his last game in the arena, then pointing toward Nowitzki. “Let’s go! Let’s go! Let’s go!”
“One of the greatest of all-time, Dirk Nowitzki!”
This is what Dirk had to say after the game.
“It was sweet. I’m really appreciative,” Nowitzki said after the Mavericks’ 121-112 loss to the Clippers. “At first, I was like, ‘Why is Doc calling a timeout? What’s he doing with [9.4] seconds left? What’s he up to?’ Then he grabbed the mic. I didn’t really understand much, but that was really humbling. That was an emotional moment.”
The craziest part about this season is that Dirk has not officially stated he is going to retire after this year.
