Latest news with #DirkNowitzki
Associated Press
a day ago
- Sport
- Associated Press
Cooper Flagg looks comfortable in new home as No. 1 pick gets introduced in Dallas
Updated [hour]:[minute] [AMPM] [timezone], [monthFull] [day], [year] DALLAS (AP) — Cooper Flagg didn't wait for Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison to break the silence with an opening statement as the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft was introduced to a packed Dallas news conference. 'Hello,' Flagg said about the time the clock struck noon Friday. The 18-year-old former Duke star only grew more comfortable from there, two days after walking across the stage in Brooklyn to be greeted by Commissioner Adam Silver. Flagg was deferential to the history of European stars Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic — the latter being the generational talent traded in February, before the Mavs magically landed the potential of their next face of the franchise despite just a 1.8% chance to win the draft lottery. The Associated Press men's college player of the year quickly declared his love for Mexican food and barbecue — the same question all the Texas newcomers get — and easily rattled off Mount Rushmores for the NBA, and the WNBA. For those wondering, Flagg's NBA picks were Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, and he appropriately skipped the last names of the last two. The WNBA choices were Candace Parker, Brittney Griner, A'ja Wilson and, after a brief pause to think, Caitlin Clark, 'because she's changed the game so much.' Of course, Flagg is about to join quite a collection of names in Kyrie Irving, Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson, all three with NBA titles on their resumes. Although fellow Duke alum Irving won't join Flagg on the court until possibly January as the nine-time All-Star recovers from a torn ACL, the Mavs are expecting a return to the playoffs after falling short in 2025, a year after Irving and Doncic led Dallas to the NBA Finals, where the Mavs lost to Boston in five games. Throw in third-year player Dereck Lively II — another ex-Duke player, and one who visited Flagg going into his only season with the Blue Devils last fall — and there are plenty of reasons to believe Flagg gets a softer landing than many top picks who end up in rebuilding situations. 'He's very lucky to have veterans, future Hall of Famers,' said coach Jason Kidd, a Hall of Fame point guard who was the second overall choice by the Mavericks 31 years ago. 'When you talk about Kai and Klay and then AD, just understanding the vets are going to protect him and help him, and they're going to push him.' Flagg flew to Dallas with Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont and both of their families. Among those at the team's practice facility near American Airlines Center was Mark Cuban, the high-profile former owner who sold a majority stake a year and a half ago to the Las Vegas-based Adelson and Dumont families and is now alternate governor. So was Mark Aguirre, the other No. 1 overall pick by Dallas in 1981. The 65-year-old was just a few seats from Shawn Marion, who played with Nowitzki on the franchise's only championship team in 2011. That row also included Rolando Blackman, a former player who represented the Mavs when they won the draft lottery. It was the first time in franchise history that Dallas had moved up in the lottery. Nearly the entire history of the 45-year-old franchise was represented when Flagg was asked about following Nowitzki, who has a statue outside the arena, and Doncic, whose departure was a heartbreaker for countless Mavs fans who no doubt got a boost with the arrival of the third one-and-done Duke player on the Dallas roster. 'I'm coming in just trying to learn and trying to get better every single day,' Flagg said. 'And I think if I can do that to the best of my ability, I think expectations and pressures that other people will put on me and our team, that will kind of work itself out. So I'm just trying come in and be the best that I can be and just win at the highest level.' The 6-foot-9 Flagg's position is one of the more intriguing questions on the court, and the Mavs will have a void at point guard until Irving returns. 'I want to put him at the point guard,' said Kidd, who sat to Flagg's left on a stage, with Harrison on his right. 'I want to make him uncomfortable and see how he reacts.' There wasn't anything that made Flagg look uncomfortable on his first day in Dallas as a Mav. ___ AP NBA:
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Hartenstein: Nowitzki's title 'gave me confidence' to win one too
Isaiah Hartenstein of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (3rd from the left) sitting on the bench. Philipp Hülsmann/Philipp Hülsmann/dpa German NBA player Isaiah Hartenstein said that Dirk Nowitzki's title 14 years ago was a cornerstone for his own NBA title with the Oklahoma City Thunder. "Seeing him make it happen gave me confidence that if he could do it, I could do it too. Thank you Dirk," Hartenstein said after the 103-91 win against the Indiana Pacers in Game 7 of the NBA Finals on Sunday evening. Advertisement The win sealed the franchise's first NBA Championship since relocating from Seattle in 2008. Hartenstein is, after Nowitzki, the second German player to win the NBA title. He was born in Eugene, Oregon, but holds a German citizenship. His father is German and Hartenstein lived in Germany from 2008 to 2017. "Dirk has done so much for German basketball and to be in the same sentence as him now is something special," the newly-crowned champion said. Nowitzki won the NBA title in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
"They booed me with 90 minutes on the clock" - Dirk Nowitzki on Jazz fans' backlash after calling Utah "a bad city"
"They booed me with 90 minutes on the clock" - Dirk Nowitzki on Jazz fans' backlash after calling Utah "a bad city" originally appeared on Basketball Network. There are a few sure ways to rile up an opposing NBA fan base. One of the fastest is trashing their city. Advertisement Despite his down-to-earth and humble reputation, Dirk Nowitzki did just that. According to multiple reports, it happened during the 2001 NBA playoffs opener when his Dallas Mavericks faced the Utah Jazz. "Utah is a bad city," Nowitzki said at the time. Nowitzki vs. the Utah Jazz The 2001 NBA playoffs marked the start of the German forward's legendary postseason run. Nowitzki, drafted by the Mavs in 1998, faced his first playoff challenge against the team led by the veteran duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton — two icons in the twilight of their careers. Game 1 took place in Salt Lake City. Every basketball fan knows the atmosphere there is electric during the regular season, and it only intensifies in the playoffs. It was the first time Nowitzki experienced that intensity firsthand, and after a narrow two-point loss to start the series, he made his infamous "Utah is a bad city" comment. Advertisement Unsurprisingly, Jazz fans didn't take it lightly. Before Game 2, the intensity at the Delta Center reached another level. The brunt fell on the Mavericks' second-year player. "I came in with 90 minutes on the clock shooting and there was a sign up there: 'Germany is a bad city,'" recalled Nowitzki, per Deseret News. "They got me good. They booed me with 90 minutes on the clock." Related: "Yeah, they'll probably have to do something" - Bird says the NBA will be forced to move the 3-point line back if high volume continues Was it all just a misunderstanding? Reflecting on his early relationship with Jazz fans, Nowitzki admitted, "We got off on the wrong foot." Advertisement While that's true, it was arguably a misunderstanding. Nuances in language can have a big impact, and even a slight misphrasing can change meaning. This can be especially challenging for foreigners who don't speak the language perfectly — and that was true for Nowitzki then. Years later, the 2008 MVP clarified what he really meant by his "bad city" comment and how it got lost in translation. "I said, 'Well, Utah is a bad city,' meaning it's the playoffs and we shouldn't spend too much time there. It's hostile," he explained. "I meant going home, sleeping in my own bed, is never bad." Needless to say, the damage was done. Dirk recalled coming home where "they blew the whole thing up. They were talking about it on TV that night already. I mean, they were trying to call my hotel room. It was awesome." Advertisement Ultimately, his "bad city" remark was actually more of a compliment. Drawing parallels to places like Portland, the 2011 NBA champion said cities without big football teams often invest everything in their basketball teams — and "that's usually where the buildings get the loudest and the craziest. The fans really get into it." While Nowitzki's criticism of Utah/Salt Lake City was mostly a misunderstanding, the same can't be said for another former NBA player. Derek Harper famously rejected a trade offer to the Jazz, making his opinion on living there very clear. "There was a Utah deal, but you go live in Utah. Nothing against Utah or their team, but I don't want to live there," the former guard said in 1997. Related: Dirk doesn't want to bash today's NBA like some ex-players: "It doesn't help to always sit there and complain" This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
New York Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Does the Lakers' big-money sale to Dodgers owner mean big changes are imminent?
The Bounce Newsletter | This is The Athletic's daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox. Today is Dirk Nowitzki's 47th birthday. One of my favorite things to think about is going back to the 1998 NBA Draft night and watching him get selected with the ninth overall pick. Then go tell everybody that guy would end up with more points than Wilt Chamberlain and watch them react. Happy Birthday, Dirk! Here's 10 minutes of him being clutch in the 2011 championship run. Lakers sold to Dodgers owner for big billions The late, great Dr. Jerry Buss purchased the Lakers in 1979 for $67.5 million. Yesterday, the news broke that his daughter Jeanie Buss and the Buss family are setting a global record with the sale of the Lakers franchise. Dodgers owner Mark Walter has agreed in principle to purchase the Lakers for $10 billion. Yes, ten billion (that's million with a 'b' instead of an 'm' with a big fat dollar sign in front of the 10). A billion is a million times a thousand, kids. Advertisement No sports franchise has ever sold for more. And here's the ridiculous thing: It might actually end up being more than $10 billion, according to Joe Vardon and Mike Vorkunov: 'The sale, which is not yet finalized, could eventually value the team at $12 billion, according to one source with knowledge of the negotiations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the transaction. That would be far more than the $6.1 billion valuation for the Boston Celtics when they were sold in March.' Remember that Celtics sale? It was a North American franchise record two months ago. It cleared the sale of the Washington Commanders by $50 million. If you add the recent sales of the Celtics and the Mavericks (roughly $3.5 billion), it doesn't add up ($9.6 billion) to the initial price tag of the Lakers. That is almost unfathomable, considering the Celtics are one of the most storied franchises in all of professional sports, and the Mavericks were a very good franchise in a very valuable market. Such is life for the Lakers, their brand and having the premier sports franchise in Los Angeles. And Walter now has the Lakers and the Dodgers. He already owned a 27 percent share in the Lakers with Todd Boehly at a $5 billion valuation from a 2021 purchase. Where does he get all this money? Walter is the chief executive of the Guggenheim Partners global financial firm, which he used to buy controlling interest in the Dodgers for $2.15 billion back in 2012. Guggenheim Partners has over $325 billion in assets. The Dodgers currently have the largest payroll in Major League Baseball at $338 million. Jeanie Buss will remain the governor of the team following the completion of the sale. Although, after what happened with the Mavericks – with Mark Cuban still running basketball operations, and then Nico Harrison doing the Luka Dončić trade over a year later without Cuban being involved – it's worth keeping an eye on how long Buss does in fact remain involved with the Lakers organization. You just never know with rich people these days! Advertisement The Lakers won't be able to spend the way Walter allows the Dodgers to dominate with their payroll. The NBA has trojan horse'd a vague hard cap into the mix with financial apron penalties, so there are limitations. But Walter can spend in every other facet outside of roster payroll. We may see massive upgrades to team facilities, amenities and everything you can possibly imagine. It makes you wonder what the Knicks would go for. James Dolan, care to find out? Never forget: the NBA still did Seattle dirty 🏀 Twist the knife. The Thunder winning the title would suck for Seattle fans. Sonics forever. 🏀 Top prospect. You want intel on the likely No. 2 pick in the draft? Here's Dylan Harper (no relation). ✍️ Flagg facts. Since we're discussing intel, David Aldridge shares his draft thoughts on Cooper Flagg and the top wing prospects. 🤔 How generational? How does Flagg stack up against the other top draft prospects in the last decade? 😤 Steady presence. Shakeia Taylor details Myles Turner's invaluable place in the Pacers' lineup and Indiana's community. 👀 Steady looking. The Knicks' head-coaching search continues. James Edwards III has you covered in his latest mailbag. 🇬🇧 Refurbished interest? The United Kingdom is trying to spur intrigue in basketball. Can it become more popular than badminton? 🥱 Questionable class? John Hollinger breaks down why he isn't too impressed with this year's crop of free-agent small forwards. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. In 100 riveting profiles, top basketball writers justify their selections and uncover the history of the NBA in the process. The story of the greatest players in NBA history. Thunder can clinch championship tonight We have Game 6 of the NBA Finals happening tonight at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC (and Fubo if you want to stream for free!). The Thunder need just one more win to bring home the first title in franchise history. (Remember, they gave up the SuperSonics titles when they ripped that franchise out of the Pacific Northwest.) The Thunder have been so dominant all season long, and yet have met a very formidable opponent in the Pacers during this run. Advertisement Only the Nuggets have managed to challenge the Thunder as much as the Pacers have, forcing them to a Game 7 in the second round. However, the Thunder did manage to absolutely demolish Denver in a couple of those games, including that Game 7. Indiana is wondering if it can force its own Game 7 and try to avoid that same fate. We are also wondering if a Game 7 will be forced, which would happen on Sunday. If the Pacers can protect their home court tonight, we'll get both teams with their backs against the walls in a do-or-die final game for the championship. Yesterday, we asked you, The Bouncers, some questions about this series. Let's go over your answers! Are the Thunder going to close out Game 6? Roughly two-thirds of you believe this is over tonight, which is understandable. The Thunder have been in a very good place the last two games, with Jalen Williams and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander both playing great basketball. If the Pacers win Game 6, will they win Game 7? Wow, almost none of you believe in the Pacers on the road! Need I remind you of them winning Game 7 on the road at Madison Square Garden in the second round last year? Is that even close to the same thing? Not at all! But 86.7 percent is disrespectful! Did blowing Game 4 spoil Pacers title chances? OK, some idiot (me) actually had a typo in the Google Form and had it say, 'by giving away Game 7,' but I trust you all knew what I meant. Most of you do believe that the Pacers giving away the fourth quarter of Game 4 and failing to go up 3-1 in the series likely ruined their title chances. Whom do you want to win? A little over half of you want the Pacers to win the title, but I like that this is nearly down the middle. Either team winning is kind of a cool story in its own right. We also asked if you've enjoyed the NBA Finals so far, and you overwhelmingly voted yes (87.7 percent) while 2.4 percent of voters said no. We also gave you a chance to write in your own separate answer to further express yourself. Here were the most intriguing answers to me: 'Bring back Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy … the current broadcast team just doesn't cut it.' 'As a Bucks fan, I wanted anyone but the Pacers coming out of the East. We deserved the Donte Bowl finals: Wolves vs Knicks.' 'Great for basketball diehards, but a Timberwolves-Knicks finals would've been way more intriguing storyline wise.' 'I don't care who wins, just keep it going for seven games. Lol.' 'Up until the injury bug hit Hali. He was THE story of these playoffs.' 'If Foster refs a game 7, there will be a game 8.' 'They should be more appreciated even though they are small teams! Having such a clutch team against the best in the league is amazing to watch. I can't count out the Pacers when they've proven they can bounce back in crazy ways. This series has been awesome.' 'The thunder are the NBA version of a shareholders presentation on the court it is not entertaining,' Advertisement And yes, you rapscallions couldn't resist trolling me with Thanasis answers. 'I need more Thanasis Antetokounmpo. The viewing experience has lacked Thanalysis.' 'Thanasis for NBA Finals MVP.' 'Thanasis would've caught that mistake.' 'I reckon that if Hali goes can't play, the pacers will sign Thanasis to a ten-day contract: he'll average 37.6 and 12 in games 6 and 7, lead Indiana to the chip and win finals MVP.' You are going to cause me to become the Joker. What will decide tonight's crucial Game 6? I feel pretty confident that Game 6 will come down to three things to decide the fate of whether or not we have a trophy ceremony tonight: 1. The health of Tyrese Haliburton, as Bouncers noted above, is unlikely to keep him out of Game 6. I'm not reporting that. I have no information. It just sounds like he's going to try to give it a go. He had a couple of days of treatment and rest, and it's about as good as it will get. That doesn't mean he'll be mobile enough to play like the player we're used to seeing, but the Pacers will need the All-NBA-caliber, clutch ruiner of beat writer deadlines to extend this series. 2. Stocks! No, we're not talking about the S&P. We're talking about the S&B! Steals and blocks! Game 5 saw the Thunder really go heavy on creating live-ball turnovers and protecting the rim. The Thunder had 27 stocks, with 15 steals and 12 blocks. Gilgeous-Alexander had four of their blocks as Chet Holmgren shook off a tough scoring game by grabbing 11 boards and blocking three shots. Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace each had four steals off the bench. The steals helped lead to 23 turnovers, which created 32 points. The Thunder have done a great job of turning over a Pacers team that doesn't typically give the ball away. 3. Reserve points. The bench scoring in this series has been all over the place. The Pacers are going to need Obi Toppin to knock down 3-pointers. They'll need Bennedict Mathurin to be the guy they saw in Game 3, rather than what they got at the end of Game 4 or in all of Game 5. They also need the T.J. McConnell they saw in the third quarter of Game 5. Advertisement For the Thunder, another big game from Caruso will all but seal up this championship. When he's had big games, the Thunder have had incredible success in this series. Wallace and Aaron Wiggins being effective off the bench, especially with Wiggins knocking down 3-pointers, will be too much for Indiana. The stars are the stars, but the role players should be the difference. Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Don Nelson doesn't hold back on Mavericks' ‘tremendous mistake' of trading Luka Doncic
The post Don Nelson doesn't hold back on Mavericks' 'tremendous mistake' of trading Luka Doncic appeared first on ClutchPoints. In the history of the Dallas Mavericks franchise, former head coach Don Nelson was instrumental in establishing them as a consistent playoff team in the early 2000s. Nelson helped unlock Dirk Nowitzki and helped shape him into the greatest player in franchise history. Being one of the best offensive innovators in league history, Nelson is certainly deserving of winning the 2025 Chuck Daly Lifetime Achievement Award, the winner of which was announced earlier today. Advertisement Suffice to say, the Mavericks franchise wouldn't be where they are today without Nelson's contributions. This is why Nelson is disappointed more than ever on the current state of the team. While the Mavs recently won the first overall pick, putting them in position to draft Cooper Flagg as some sort of mulligan for the biggest mistake in franchise history, Nelson isn't pleased whatsoever with their decision to trade away Luka Doncic back in February. 'I think it was a tremendous mistake for the Dallas franchise to trade him — and I want everybody to know that,' Nelson said in his press conference prior to Game 2 of the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder's NBA Finals clash. Nelson has formed a close relationship with Doncic, so it's not exactly a huge surprise to see him to go to bat for his guy. And it's not like Nelson's sentiment is unpopular; the Mavericks continue to be widely chastised for their egregious decision to let go of Doncic without making it known to the whole league — which could have drummed up a major bidding war. Advertisement Over four months have passed since the Mavericks shocked the world, and there are times where it still doesn't feel real that Doncic is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Only time will tell if the Mavs end up being right, but this trade is viewed as a disaster for a very good reason. Mavericks hope for a quick turnaround © Jerome Miron-Imagn Images At the very least, all hope is not lost for the Mavericks. They have an incredible collection of talent in the frontcourt; Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and PJ Washington comprise their impressive core. And they're (presumably) about to add Flagg to the mix. Advertisement All the Mavericks need is for Kyrie Irving to return to full strength and for them to bolster their backcourt, re-balancing the roster by perhaps trading a few of their big men in exchange for some guard help. Related: Don Nelson reveals 'favorite player' in 1998 NBA Draft and it's not Dirk Related: Mavericks rumors: Tim MacMahon reveals 'feasible' Jason Kidd scenario amid Knicks' interest
