Saturday, February 16, 2019

J-Speaks: The Final Meeting of All-Time Greats in "Big-D"


On Sunday night, two of the greatest to ever grace the NBA hardwood will meet for their final run on for the main event of the 2019 NBA All-Star Weekend thanks to the NBA Commissioner. This past Wednesday this two future Hall of Famers and former champions went at it for the next to last time in the arena where one won the first of his team’s three Larry O’Brien trophies. 
Behind 22 points off the bench by future Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade the Miami Heat (26-30) earned a 112-101 victory at the Dallas Mavericks (26-31) on Wednesday night in his final game at the American Airlines Center, the arena where he led the Heat to their first NBA titles 13 years ago over fellow future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs. 
The three-time NBA champion, whose spent 13 of his 16 NBA seasons in South Florida finished his final game in the AAC on the bench with the fans in the arena dawning or holding No. 3 jerseys standing and chanting, “We want Wade,” in the closing moments.
Nowitzki, 40 finished with 12 points in 16 minutes of action but was just 5 for 14 from the field, including just 2 for 10 from three-point range. 
Wade, 37 who said at the start of his 16th season was going to be his final one got the better of fellow future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki, his two-time NBA Finals opponent whose in his 21st season with the same franchise had the feel of an unofficial goodbye. 
During their swapping of jerseys at midcourt after the game, which has become a theme for Wade in all the away arenas during his last season said to Nowitzki with cameras surrounding them, “Talking to Dirk at the end, he was like, ‘Man, you look good.’”
“I said, ‘You have those days, right?’ But those are the scary days, those days that you can mess around and be like, ‘Well, I can keep playing.’ And then it’ll be a day that you’re like, ‘No, there’s a reason why I’m retiring.’” 
He added during his postgame interview with FOX Sports Sun’s Jason Jackson about the impact of Nowitzki and he had on the NBA, “You know, Dirk’s been unbelievable for our game. I hope I’ve added something to this game?” 
“I’ve got so much respect for the player that he is and what his career has stood for. So, I’m appreciative of his jersey. I’m thankful for it.”
It seemed fitting that both Wade and Nowitzki in their twilight days of their careers both checked into the game at the same time at the 5:11 mark of the opening period where some in the arena booed when both teams took the court for pregame warmups but quickly turned to cheers as many in the audience rose in unison and cheered Wade and Nowitzki as they entered the game. 
Wade after those cheers got cascaded with boos whenever he touched the ball. This stems from the fact thought that back in the 2006 NBA Finals Wade was the beneficiary of some questionable calls. 
Those Mavericks fans still recount the video of Wade and now Los Angeles Lakers’ four-time Kia MVP LeBron James fibbing coughs while exiting the AAC after the Heat fell in Game 4 to the Mavericks when Nowitzki, who was ill before Game 4, connected on the game-winner and the Mavericks as mentioned won the series in six games. 
Before the start of the game on Wednesday, social media was a buzz noting the irony of Wade’s absence during the Heat’s shootaround because of illness in is final appearance in Dallas. 
Wade, who won the next two titles with James was able to play and he offered some vintage moments in the opening half to remind the Mavericks faithful in the stands of how great he is. He knocked down a three over Nowitzki before the 7-footer answered back with his patented one-legged fadeaway jumper over Wade at the other end. 
Wade though would get the last laugh in the opening half as he hit nothing but the cords on a jumper over rookie guard Jalen Brunson to conclude the half with a team-leading 14 points. 
Wade got the crowd in a frenzy even before the opening tip-off when he re-enacted his launching of the basketball to the rafters of the AAC when the Heat won Game 6 to clinch as mentioned their first title back in 2006. 
“It was cool just to sit and talk about the moment we had in 2006,” Wade said to Jackson postgame about a conversation he had with Heat announcer Jose Paneda. “That was the thing that got all of us here as an organization as the city of Miami to be known as champions that year and it wasn’t easy and we won a tough game here.” 
“I’m sure when I threw that ball up a lot of people was like, ‘What is he doing at the time,’ you know?” But it was something that I always wanted to do. So, I got to accomplish it.” 
Wade also said of the moment that he and Nowitzki laughed about and the best player in Mavericks history. 
The Heat to the lead for good behind a 12-0 run in the third quarter with lead guard Josh Richardson scoring six of those 12 points. 
This will not be the last time the two perennial All-Stars will share the court together. This Sunday at the conclusion of 2019 NBA unofficial mid-season weekend celebration in Charlotte, NC, Wade and Nowitzki will be playing in the 2019 NBA All-Star Game this Sunday at Spectrum Center. 
Wade and Nowitzki were added to this weekend’s mid-season classic by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver as special team roster additions in recognition of their legendary careers both on and off the hardwood. 
When the All-Star Draft was held on Feb. 7 on TNT with 15-time All-Star in James and Milwaukee Bucks’ three-time All-Star as the captain, James selected Wade as the dynamic duo who led the Heat to four consecutive trips to The Finals from 2010-14 and Antetokounmpo chose Nowitzki.  
“Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade embody the best of the NBA: remarkable skill, drive and professionalism as well as a deep devotion to strengthening their communities and growing the game around the world,” Silver said at the start of this month. “As a global celebration of basketball, our All-Star Game is an ideal setting to salute these first-class NBA champions and Finals MVPs.” 
Nowitzki will be playing in his 14th All-Star Game, while this will be No. 13 for Wade, who has named MVP in the 2010 mid-season classic; and registered a triple-double in the 2012 game. 
Along with his three titles, Wade’s professional basketball resume includes a 2008 Olympic Gold with USA Basketball; the 2006 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP; eight All-NBA selections and three NBA All-Defensive Team selections. He has averaged 22.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.6 steals in his 16 seasons playing for the Heat, Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. He and Michael Jordan are the only players in league history to record at least 20,000 points, 5.000 assists, 4,000 boards, 1,500 steals, 800 block shots and 500 three-pointers. The 2008-09 scoring champion is 30th on the all-time career scoring list with 22,725 points. The “Windy City” native, who played collegiately at Marquette is the Heat franchise leader in points, assists, steals, field goals made, free throws made and games played. 
Nowitzki’s career resume is just as impressive ranking as the No. 7 all-time on the league’s scoring list with (31,310 points) and is the all-time scoring leader amongst international players. The 7-footer from Wurzburg, Germany won Kia MVP in 2006-07, becoming the first European-born player to win that league award. When the Mavericks beat the Heat in Game 6 of the 2011 Finals to win their first title in franchise history, Nowitzki earn the Russell Finals MVP of that series.   
His 909 career wins during the regular-season ranks No. 6 in league history and his 1,497 games played during the regular-season is No. 4 all-time. 
Perhaps the greatest accomplishment of Nowitzki’s career was how he revolutionized the game at the power forward position with his ability to make shots consistently from the perimeter, especially from three-point range, where he is No. 11 on the all-time list with 1,943 connections. He won the Three-Point contest at the 2006 NBA All-Star Weekend. 
The Mavericks’ franchise leader in points, rebounds, block shots, field goals made, three-pointers made, free throws made and games played has a career average of 21.0 points and 7.6 rebounds.
Along with the greatness that Wade and Nowitzki displayed on the court, they were just as involved and consistent with their time and presence in the communities their respective teams call home. 
Nowitzki, a two-time recipient of the monthly NBA Cares Community Assist Award hosts an annual celebrity baseball game and tennis event that benefits his foundation where its focus is on the health and education of children. In November 2018 Nowitzki was presented a key to the City of Dallas in recognition of his philanthropy and achievements on the hardwood. 
The 2016-17 Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year recipient for his selflessness both on-and-off the court as a leader, mentor and role model served as captain for the World Team at the NBA 2017 Africa Game and twice was a participant in basketball camps for Basketball Without Borders. 
On several occasions Wade was honored by “The Association” for the time he has dedicated and continues to dedicate to the community. 
In March 2018, Wade received the NBA Cares Community Assists Award for how he supported students and the entire Parkland, FL community after the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School that claimed the lives of 17 individuals. 
Six years ago, Wade was honored with the 2012-13 Season long NBA Cares Community Assists Award for his Wade’s World Foundation’s efforts in supporting community-based organizations that promote education, health, and social skills to at-risk youth. 
Perhaps his most profound assists to the community at large came at the 2016 ESPYs when he, James, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul of the Houston Rockets promoted social activism and taking a stand against gun violence. 
That same year, Wade hosted a bike ride alongside Miami, FL policy officers in the spreading a message of unity. 
On top of that Wade served as the global ambassador for the inaugural Jr. NBA Global Championship. He also hosts an annual youth basketball camp each summer in South Florida. 
On Sunday night, two of the greatest to ever play in the National Basketball Association in Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat and Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks will take centerstage at the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend for the final time. 
Their official last meeting will be on Mar. 28 when the Mavericks play at the Heat at the American Airlines Arena. 
The world at large will not only see two of the best individually to ever play on the professional hardwood just two more times but two great men who are respected by teammates, past and present; coaches their own and across the league, fans who see them play and come to see and hear them talk and who are conscious of the impact they have on the people the meet up close or from a far. 
Two men who met twice within a five-year span for the NBA’s ultimate prize. Wade got their first on Nowitzki’s court in 2006 and he returned the favor on Wade’s hardwood in 2011.  
“You know as he said and I’ve said, ‘Thank you for pushing me and wanting more,” Wade said to Jackson about how Nowitzki made him a better player. “You know, playing against each other twice in The Finals, you know, each one of us getting one, you know. We definitely pushed each other. So, I appreciate it.”
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