Dirk Nowitzki not closing the door on future NBA coaching opportunities despite Amazon mega-deal

Dirk Nowitzki still remains the only player to spend every season of his career with the same NBA franchise.

Funnily enough, it wasn’t by the team who selected him ninth in the 1998 NBA draft, the Milwaukee Bucks.

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After the draft concluded, he was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks, the franchise he would call home for the next 21 years.

Nowitzki led Dallas to 15 NBA Playoff appearances, including the franchises first NBA finals appearance in 2006, and their only title-winning season in 2011.

He also took home the MVP award in 2007, and the NBA Finals MVP award in 2011.

Nowitzki has always been mentioned in coaching talks, famously turning down the offer to join the Brooklyn Nets coaching staff under Steve Nash – who ended up lasting just two-plus years.

But, instead, he landed a role with Amazon Prime Video as a premier studio analyst, alongside Taylor Rooks and Blake Griffin.

“If you would have asked me five-years ago, there would be no way I would be doing media,” Nowitzki told talkSPORT.

“That’s how fast things in life move sometimes. I don’t want to say I never want to be in management but now it doesn’t get me interested.

“The longer I have been out it doesn’t really excite me as much and then the opportunity with Amazon came along and then I jumped on it. 

“I wanted to be a part of something new we could create and have some input on, and it’s been fun.”

If he made the decision to join a franchise as a head coach, he would be following in the footsteps of Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Reddick.

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Reddick retired in 2021 following a 19-year career. He ventured into broadcasting, co-founding the media company ThreeFourTwo productions, and he was also hired as an analyst by ESPN before taking LA’s head coach role.

Many NBA players have also transitioned into key front office roles, including Calvin Booth who served as the Denver Nuggets General Manager, and Sean Marks, the current Brooklyn Nets GM.

Dirk's Toughest Opponents

Michael Jordan – “I played against MJ, but he was older back then, with the Wizards, he is my all time goat but at the time he wasn’t that MJ anymore, but I still have to include him.”

Kobe Bryant – “I played against Kobe in his prime.”

Tim Duncan – “We had a rivalry with the Spurs and they always kicked our butts.”

Lebron James – “LeBron is in there, the greatest scorer we have ever seen.”

Shaquille O’Neal / Kevin Durrant – “Probably Shaq at five, I love Kevin Durrant also, but there have been some incredible players I have played against.”

Nowitzki is so beloved by Mavericks fans and the community of Dallas, he was honoured with a Key to the City in 2018.

But despite being enamoured by the NBA, the transition to the broadcast booth wasn’t smooth: “It’s been super interesting, a real learning curve, learning how to produce a show, all the lingo and behind the scenes. 

“The first couple of weeks were hard and challenging, but also fun, Brian has done a great job in putting a group together that has good chemistry. 

“To do something new and challenging with one of my best friends, it’s been fun and I am enjoying the challenge.”

The Mavs front office has been a chaotic affair since Nico Harrison’s decision to trade away superstar Luka Doncic to the LA Lakers

A decision that left fans furious about the future of the team, who eventually ended up with the No 1 pick in the draft – and took generational talent Cooper Flagg back in July.

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Many Mavericks fans have expressed desire for Nowitzki to take on a significant leadership role, in order to help stabilise the front office.

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