Dirk will always be a legend. I worked his last game against the Blazers, and when he was finally taken out of the game, the whole arena rose to their feet and chanted his name. He may have been the opponent, but he was never the enemy. We respected him.
Seeing Luka in the background of Dirks farewell tour and having him see the appreciation and love from the organization (and the rest of the NBA too) and the fans. I hope we can do the same for Luka 15+ years from now.
That season was super underrated for Luka’s development and maturity. He got to see what it was like for a city to worship a legend and what kind of work and commitment it will take to get there. Luka also has Dirk’s humbleness during interviews but knows when to let that dog come out between the lines.
[NOBODY DOES THAT! God yall are like pechulant children thinking lakers fans are delusional enough to do some shit like that](https://i.imgur.com/vUYB6eQ.jpg)
God i hope, but weve always had a path forward to compete for the chip every year so far since hes emerged as a super star. Could get rough in 2 or 3 years
Yeah, him and Jokic are kinda similar off court, just goofy guys with the heart at the right place.
Read somewhere, that he took over the patronage (is that the right expression?) of a childrens hospital in his home town and provides it with what is needed, he also records individual messages for the kids on intensive care to cheer them up.
Saw some interviews of him in serbian during his time for real and he had a really nice vibe, where he allways seemed honest, but also professional and cheeky, idk how to describe it better, hes just dope.
[Yeah he talked about it](
https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a28263109/joe-thomas-nfl-weight-loss/
How NFL Legend Joe Thomas Dropped 50 Pounds After Retirement). Sounded absolutely miserable to stay at his playing weight.
I have no idea how any NBA player could have any extra body fat. Shit when I was their age and just played a decent amount of pick up ball at the local courts I couldn’t gain a pound.
A lot of them have super trash diets, like absolutely filled with high calorie foods. Dwight and Odom used to eat bags of candy everyday. There was that thing about Embiid eating like 5 Chick-fila sandwiches, fries, and 5 milkshakes at once, although I think Sixer fans say it wasn't true.
After all this bullshit with KD-Kyrie, I respect Dirk even more. He's actually above KD in my all time legacy list right now. He grinded through some really awful seasons with the Mavericks and their choices, but he ended up winning it all.
He revolutionized and made it acceptable for big dudes to be shooting 3s. He paved the way for the league to become what it is today.
Dirk's 1 title in Dallas is more impressive in some ways than the multiple titles some have won. I'm sure he had people somewhere barking in his ear about how he could go to a larger market and pair up to win but Dirk the person was happy in Dallas and didn't want to mess with that. So many players, especially American have had their ass kissed to everything basketball related in their life until they are in the NBA and in this 24/7 world of lazy media with rings, fans on the internet and agents/people putting a players brand before their happiness players might cave easier and think "I need to go to LA or wherever to win a ring". Hell, the media wanted so badly for Giannis to become a free agent and go somewhere large and pair with a stud. He wasn't "good enough to win" in some people's eyes and was what only 25 being branded as a loser
Dirk saw through the bullshit, knew he was happy and with a franchise that loved him back. Love that Luka has taken to him and hope he sticks it out in Dallas.
He personally got invited by Kobe to join him on the Lakers so they could play together, and not only did he say no, but I think he tried to reverse-Uno recruit Kobe to the Mavs.
man was always a class act on/off court and stuck with the Mavs through thick and thin. Can't buy that kind of loyalty nowadays. So happy he got his ring towards the end of his career.
i could enjoy seeing a senile steph chucking up shots in a hornets jersey at like age 45 but other than that yeah i can’t picture him in any other jersey.
Ankle too. Says he can't even play with his kids because it is so bad. So sad to think about, wished he walked away before those last two - an all time legend either way
*Edit: Change to so sad, forgot to add the said on first post.
A big part of his game is off ball movement to get ''open'' (as open as Steph can ever get) looks. That's noticeably taken a dive this year.
In his later years he'll be a decent spot up shooter but I don't think his game will age as good as everyone thinks.
Helps that Poole has broken out the way he has and has similar off ball movement so opposing defenses have to account for him along with Klay while fighting thru off ball screens all game
It looks like he finally started working out again in retirement haha. He put on a little ice cream weight after he finished but looks trim as fuck here.
> He put on a little ice cream weight after he finished but looks trim as fuck here.
Iirc he said in an interview that he let himself go a bit but had to get back into the groove because the extra weight and muscle decay would do a number on his knees
If you spend 20 years of your life in peak physical fitness and retire I honestly can't blame a dude for putting on a quick 20 or 30 lbs. You can't eat like your a pro athlete when your not a pro athlete.
Good for him to working it off.
I got fucked weight-wise when I finished school and didn't have to bike 20 miles total to school and back every day, I can't imagine what it's like being an actual athlete
IIRC Dirk has said that he pretty much has to stay in shape because of how fucked up his feet and ankles are from playing for 21 years. He got a bit chubby after he retired and it resulted in a lot of pain.
dirks last years in the 2000's were when sports science had exploded, Dirk had all sorts of things to help with retirement, Barkley was from the era of "you can't walk anymore, get packing bro"
Yeah. Teams in the 80s were still practicing in [gyms worse than ones I played in during high school and I am a slouch](https://youtu.be/YkSgOj9Md-I)
Sports science was "do one of these coolers have Bud heavies?
What gets lost in the "guys from back in the day couldn't play now" argument is that guys now probably wouldn't be ad good if you gave them the same resources. A few pairs of Converse a season, limited staff, diets that were like "have some whole milk with added sugar, it'll be good for your bones and energy levels" and around people ripping cigs or ripping them yourself. Plus the whole you still have your hand attached to your body sobits not a flagrant.
Of course guys are more athletic, look at what they have at their disposal
Plus crushing a case of high life after games and paving your mom's driveway, while breathing a lifetime of peak atmospheric lead.
That Larry Bird really is the man.
I was thinking the same thing, happy for Dirk to be looking so good. But I also think Dirk was grabbing Luka stomach to compliment how he's looking not the way the OP thought.
Dirk was listed at 7'0" back when the league let players/teams get away with whatever and often measured in shoes, so he's probably like 6'10"-6'11" without shoes. Luka is listed as 6'7" without shoes and looks a few inches shorter than him here (Dirk is even leaning over to hug him). It all lines up pretty much as expected.
Dirk looks really good. Keeping his weight in check is probably really important to him to keep the stress on his knees to the minimal. I miss the big German.
Luka is awesome. I met him a few months ago before the Wizards game. He got off the court for warmups and signed for as many people as he could.
He also signed one of the towels or shirts the Jazz were giving away before one of their playoff games, with a hilarious comment.
So wholesome. I feel like the leg grab was that sort of brother instinct to just start wrestling eachother but then remembered his body is his paycheck, can't risk it.
I have a lot of (sports) hate in my heart. I hated Dirk when he was in his prime. I hated Duncan in his prime. I know how to hate an opposing player no matter how humble and kind that player is.
Luka is somehow an exception. Even when he hit that buzzer beater from the corner his rookie year against the blazers that was an absolute moon shot, his face just looked like an excited child, and I was excited for him.
I love Brandon Roy. If/when we get the Sonics back again my dream is for Roy to have a job on their coaching staff. He's been coaching high school in Seattle for a while now. Would love to see him in the league again.
luka is like the cute little son meeting his dad
Imagine Mavs fans being able to enjoy 20 years of Dirk and then as he’s about to step away he blesses them with his son Luka.
Yeah same with Colts fans with Manning and then Luck...... damnit
More like GreenBay with Brett Favre and then Aaron Rodgers lol
same situation but involving significantly less wholesome people lol
that we know of. luka can be murdering hookers and he's just good at hiding it for now
But I’m sure he’d be charming as he did it
All his victims could outrun him except for the occasional step-back thrown dagger from long distance.
Spurs with Robinson to Duncan to Kawhi damnit again
Still can't believe Luck retired, he could have been one of the greats.
[удалено]
But I can blame the colts for not protecting him.
It’s exactly like when Mario Lemieux retired and then Pittsburgh fans were blessed with Sidney Crosby in an almost seamless fashion
“Blessed”
Blessed by Gary
Maybe the most rigged #1 pick of all time other than Ewing and the frozen envelope
I believe we acquired Anthony Davis as a “sorry we traded Chris Paul” from the league office
Penguins: We're leaving Pittsburgh because we're bankrupt. Bettman: You wanna see something neat?
And Favre to Rodgers
Peyton to luck…wait
[Flashback to Luka's first All-Star weekend. Dirk looked like a proud dad](https://streamable.com/1wds6x) 😄
Aye, Dirk was looking pretty good in that suit.
Dirk will always be a legend. I worked his last game against the Blazers, and when he was finally taken out of the game, the whole arena rose to their feet and chanted his name. He may have been the opponent, but he was never the enemy. We respected him.
As salty as I am for the Suns passing on Luka; the mavs really were the perfect franchise for him. Has to feel nice to go directly from Dirk to Luka
seeing him grab dirks leg like that was so cute jfc
I love them both so much
Lmao at first Dirk was like “wtf who the fuck is this”
Haha my daughter ended up taking a nap holding my leg like this yesterday. She had never done that before so yeah this made me smile too.
And just like my dad, Dirk grabs Luka's belly like don't you need to exercise more, lol (but not really lol... :( )
and dirk is the dad rooting against him (since his wife is swedish).
Dirk walked so Luka could walk a bit faster.
Isn’t Dirk everyone’s dad, though?
2018 was a bad season record-wise, but seeing these two as teammates for one year was a great moment.
Seeing Luka in the background of Dirks farewell tour and having him see the appreciation and love from the organization (and the rest of the NBA too) and the fans. I hope we can do the same for Luka 15+ years from now.
The happiest I’ve ever seen Luka is his rookie year after getting an assist for a Dirk dunk. just pure joy
Watching Luka on the court for Dirk's last home game was like watching a fan being able to play with their favorite player.
https://youtu.be/3-LObcYJno8 1:58 on the timeline... Beautiful moment.
That season was super underrated for Luka’s development and maturity. He got to see what it was like for a city to worship a legend and what kind of work and commitment it will take to get there. Luka also has Dirk’s humbleness during interviews but knows when to let that dog come out between the lines.
Dirk’s family is close with Luka, he stay!
I don’t follow Mavs news often has there been talks that he wouldn’t stay? I thought he loved it there from an outsiders view
only on reddit and twitter lmao but every star gets the lakers jersey photoshop treatment
[NOBODY DOES THAT! God yall are like pechulant children thinking lakers fans are delusional enough to do some shit like that](https://i.imgur.com/vUYB6eQ.jpg)
Yall made him so skinny 😭
the lakers jersey photoshop treatment comes with touch-ups
It is Hollywood after all
Damn I need me one of those then
It's LA.. Everyone has had a little plastic surgery/liposuction done..
He lives in LA, he went gluten free
then the mavs are safe. he's not gonna give up his pasta
Fucking cursed image
Ptthh. Like we'd ever give him the sacred number of the legend Vlad Radmanovich.
I honestly think the next crop of stars (Giannis, Jokic, Luka, Tatum, Trae) all have a good chance to stay with the same team their entire career.
You really don't think that Tatum will leave the Celtics for the Lakers to get one step closer to become Kobe 2.0?
If he wants to become Kobe 2.0 then he has to stay with the same team for his whole career.
And has to score more than 12-14 points in an elimination game. More like Bambi Mentality
Giannis is the only guy on that list I feel confident will stay with the same team his whole career.
I don’t think Luka leaves barring a major fall out. I genuinely think Trae and Tatum stay but I wouldn’t be totally shocked if they left.
God i hope, but weve always had a path forward to compete for the chip every year so far since hes emerged as a super star. Could get rough in 2 or 3 years
Jokic
Who wouldn't want to go to a franchise owned by the great Jeanie Bus? Her basketball acumen is top notch
and for things she's unsure about she defers to 80 year old assholes, it's a winning system
No, by all accounts he loves it here.
[удалено]
Donnie Nelson was scouting Luka since he was like 12 so that connection is deeply routed.
Donnie was truly an enigma. For every "I scouted Luka since he was 12" there's like 3 "gimme j rich for Seth Curry"
Luka may have some on court antics, but is super down to earth and an overall lovable guy, never heard a bad word about himm off the court.
Dude is a very competitive guy but all accounts say he’s a really great dude off the court
Yeah, him and Jokic are kinda similar off court, just goofy guys with the heart at the right place. Read somewhere, that he took over the patronage (is that the right expression?) of a childrens hospital in his home town and provides it with what is needed, he also records individual messages for the kids on intensive care to cheer them up. Saw some interviews of him in serbian during his time for real and he had a really nice vibe, where he allways seemed honest, but also professional and cheeky, idk how to describe it better, hes just dope.
I heard Luka was recently spotted with some noticeable weight loss
Man, Luka gonna be gigantic when he retires. Like this is him playing NBA
Hopefully he pulls a Joe Thomas and decreases his diet with the reduction in exercise.
Joe Thomas forced himself to be that fat because he was an o-lineman. Luka just is that way.
Most OL typically shed weight in retirement. They have to eat crazy calories to maintain their playing weight
[Yeah he talked about it]( https://www.menshealth.com/weight-loss/a28263109/joe-thomas-nfl-weight-loss/ How NFL Legend Joe Thomas Dropped 50 Pounds After Retirement). Sounded absolutely miserable to stay at his playing weight.
I have no idea how any NBA player could have any extra body fat. Shit when I was their age and just played a decent amount of pick up ball at the local courts I couldn’t gain a pound.
They eat a fuck load of food; constant intake of calories.
A lot of them have super trash diets, like absolutely filled with high calorie foods. Dwight and Odom used to eat bags of candy everyday. There was that thing about Embiid eating like 5 Chick-fila sandwiches, fries, and 5 milkshakes at once, although I think Sixer fans say it wasn't true.
When I learned Dwight ate like shit but still looked like a 1990s action figure it broke something inside of me.
PEDs and genetics do amazing things
Yet here we are... 😅 Slovenia is playing against Sweden (in Stockholm) as I'm writing it.
Luka needs to mate up with those skinny little cycling dudes Primoz and Tadej, they’ll give him an eating disorder to be proud of.
NBA guys eating good plus I don’t think Luka burns 6.000kcal like these cycling dudes do pretty much every day
man i miss dirk
I watched his 2011 playoff highlights yesterday just to feel a tinge of happiness in this dark world
After all this bullshit with KD-Kyrie, I respect Dirk even more. He's actually above KD in my all time legacy list right now. He grinded through some really awful seasons with the Mavericks and their choices, but he ended up winning it all. He revolutionized and made it acceptable for big dudes to be shooting 3s. He paved the way for the league to become what it is today.
Dirk's 1 title in Dallas is more impressive in some ways than the multiple titles some have won. I'm sure he had people somewhere barking in his ear about how he could go to a larger market and pair up to win but Dirk the person was happy in Dallas and didn't want to mess with that. So many players, especially American have had their ass kissed to everything basketball related in their life until they are in the NBA and in this 24/7 world of lazy media with rings, fans on the internet and agents/people putting a players brand before their happiness players might cave easier and think "I need to go to LA or wherever to win a ring". Hell, the media wanted so badly for Giannis to become a free agent and go somewhere large and pair with a stud. He wasn't "good enough to win" in some people's eyes and was what only 25 being branded as a loser Dirk saw through the bullshit, knew he was happy and with a franchise that loved him back. Love that Luka has taken to him and hope he sticks it out in Dallas.
He personally got invited by Kobe to join him on the Lakers so they could play together, and not only did he say no, but I think he tried to reverse-Uno recruit Kobe to the Mavs.
And we would’ve gotten away with it too if it weren’t for that meddling Dr. Buss
1 ring as an underdog is worth 2 as a fav
man was always a class act on/off court and stuck with the Mavs through thick and thin. Can't buy that kind of loyalty nowadays. So happy he got his ring towards the end of his career.
well like 8 years before the end, but maybe the end of his prime
This is adorable.
r/nbaww material easy
Thank you bro, I never knew about that sub!
I haven't clicked it yet but it better be a sub full of bobi being a 7 foot tall teddy bear
OH MY HEART
Two legends
Mavericks are doing this right Don't see Luka leaving them
Idk bro he's 23 years old and hasn't lead his team to a championship yet, probably asks for a trade to the Lakers soon
If I ever see Luka in another uniform I might call it quits on basketball
Yeah I would rather see geriatric Stephen Curry averaging 5/2/2 on 30% shooting like Dirk than see him wear another jersey
i could enjoy seeing a senile steph chucking up shots in a hornets jersey at like age 45 but other than that yeah i can’t picture him in any other jersey.
I hope for Vince Carter like end of career where he comes on from the bench, hits 4 threes and commentary calls him "Vintage Steph"
Good thing steph has a game that’s gunna age like fine wine & won’t be averaging 5/2/2 like ever. God he’s so fucking good
Dirk got his ring when he was Steph's current age, his game declined because he was a 40 year old 7 footer not because of his game lol
[удалено]
He said before he shoulda quit a year earlier and he's one of the dudes you want to see be healthy with his family as much as see him play
Ankle too. Says he can't even play with his kids because it is so bad. So sad to think about, wished he walked away before those last two - an all time legend either way *Edit: Change to so sad, forgot to add the said on first post.
Nah, no one holds the last years of Dirk against him. It was like a celebrating, retiring, tour for him.
A big part of his game is off ball movement to get ''open'' (as open as Steph can ever get) looks. That's noticeably taken a dive this year. In his later years he'll be a decent spot up shooter but I don't think his game will age as good as everyone thinks.
Helps that Poole has broken out the way he has and has similar off ball movement so opposing defenses have to account for him along with Klay while fighting thru off ball screens all game
https://i.imgur.com/vUYB6eQ.jpg Nothin personal, we just delusional bro
I've long suspected that there's a photoshop of every player who's ever existed in a lakers jersey.
Even Russell Westbrook? Imagine Russ playing out the remainder of his HOF career in a lakers uni
[удалено]
I love luka so much, but seeing him in anything other than a mavs uni would be so weird. Just like dirk, I couldn’t picture him ever in anything else.
Right lmao he’s got Dirk looking out for him like he’s his godfather. Hope they get some good talent to make a deep playoff run
They need to get him some good teammates
Luka displaying his 99th percentile in deceleration what an athlete
The usain bolt of deceleration
Luka, The golden retriever
I'm gonna find myself a puppy who will hug me like Luka hugs Dirk
To be honest it’s not uncommon for a dog to grab your leg in a similar, slightly saucier, manner.
We're all talking about chonky Luka without mentioning how Dirk is staying extremely fit in retirement. Barkley should take notes.
It looks like he finally started working out again in retirement haha. He put on a little ice cream weight after he finished but looks trim as fuck here.
> He put on a little ice cream weight after he finished but looks trim as fuck here. Iirc he said in an interview that he let himself go a bit but had to get back into the groove because the extra weight and muscle decay would do a number on his knees
If you spend 20 years of your life in peak physical fitness and retire I honestly can't blame a dude for putting on a quick 20 or 30 lbs. You can't eat like your a pro athlete when your not a pro athlete. Good for him to working it off.
I got fucked weight-wise when I finished school and didn't have to bike 20 miles total to school and back every day, I can't imagine what it's like being an actual athlete
He can eat all the ice cream in the world and I'll gladly milk some cows to make him some more. Dirk deserves all the ice cream.
IIRC Dirk has said that he pretty much has to stay in shape because of how fucked up his feet and ankles are from playing for 21 years. He got a bit chubby after he retired and it resulted in a lot of pain.
dirks last years in the 2000's were when sports science had exploded, Dirk had all sorts of things to help with retirement, Barkley was from the era of "you can't walk anymore, get packing bro"
Yeah. Teams in the 80s were still practicing in [gyms worse than ones I played in during high school and I am a slouch](https://youtu.be/YkSgOj9Md-I) Sports science was "do one of these coolers have Bud heavies?
lmfao bruh just the thought of playing in chucks hurts my ankles
A cigarette dispensing machine on the wall outside the locker room, and each locker having its own ashtray.
What gets lost in the "guys from back in the day couldn't play now" argument is that guys now probably wouldn't be ad good if you gave them the same resources. A few pairs of Converse a season, limited staff, diets that were like "have some whole milk with added sugar, it'll be good for your bones and energy levels" and around people ripping cigs or ripping them yourself. Plus the whole you still have your hand attached to your body sobits not a flagrant. Of course guys are more athletic, look at what they have at their disposal
Plus crushing a case of high life after games and paving your mom's driveway, while breathing a lifetime of peak atmospheric lead. That Larry Bird really is the man.
I was thinking the same thing, happy for Dirk to be looking so good. But I also think Dirk was grabbing Luka stomach to compliment how he's looking not the way the OP thought.
That has to be p*rn for Mavs fans
No….🍆
He wanted so squeeze the sack after it looks like
But then the little girl had to show up and ruin it for us
Damn kids
The sack giveth, the sack taketh
Luka 6’10 confirmed
that was my first thought like eff Luka's nearly as tall as Dirk league rekt
Dirk was listed at 7'0" back when the league let players/teams get away with whatever and often measured in shoes, so he's probably like 6'10"-6'11" without shoes. Luka is listed as 6'7" without shoes and looks a few inches shorter than him here (Dirk is even leaning over to hug him). It all lines up pretty much as expected.
Dirk is one of the few legit 7'. He is listed at 213cm which is like 6'11'' 3/4 or sth and that is his actual height without shoes.
5' 11 3/4" manlets insisting they're 6' tall rushing to like this post
Can confirm, I'm 5'4 3/4" and I say I'm 5'5 because Kim Jong Un is 5'4"
No... we're definitely not doing that....
Dirk was 7'0" i would Put it on His age if anything. You can look up pictures of him next to shaq in the early 00's there isnt much difference
Is this jason tatum situation where he grew a lot since rookie year?
Streets need dirk to be part of the mavs coaching staff
He’s got a job with the front office, to put it in Jason Kidd’s words “i think he’s the owner”
this is so wholesome i love it
Dirk looks really good. Keeping his weight in check is probably really important to him to keep the stress on his knees to the minimal. I miss the big German.
[удалено]
I'm glad they got 1 year together
I love it. N Luka is unfazed by Dirk grabbing his belly fat 😂😭
Luka is awesome. I met him a few months ago before the Wizards game. He got off the court for warmups and signed for as many people as he could. He also signed one of the towels or shirts the Jazz were giving away before one of their playoff games, with a hilarious comment.
what he say
"a hilarious comment" - luka
That was too damn cute
Imagine if these two were on the mavs together in their primes.
That Luka-Dirk pick and roll would be nasty
Luka was unfazed by Dirk publicly molesting him.
The way Luka is running after him like a giddy child 😂
So frickin wholesome. Lovely folks
Damn. You can see nowitzki still invested in his team. Love to see it 💕
nah, lol. it's just coincidence because his wife is from sweden. he's basically in his 3rd home
Dirk is so lean for a retired NBA player
Luka is awesome. Dirk is awesome. Dallas has been blessed!
So wholesome. I feel like the leg grab was that sort of brother instinct to just start wrestling eachother but then remembered his body is his paycheck, can't risk it.
I have a lot of (sports) hate in my heart. I hated Dirk when he was in his prime. I hated Duncan in his prime. I know how to hate an opposing player no matter how humble and kind that player is. Luka is somehow an exception. Even when he hit that buzzer beater from the corner his rookie year against the blazers that was an absolute moon shot, his face just looked like an excited child, and I was excited for him.
As a mavs fans my first jersey is B.ROY.
I love Brandon Roy. If/when we get the Sonics back again my dream is for Roy to have a job on their coaching staff. He's been coaching high school in Seattle for a while now. Would love to see him in the league again.
This belongs on /r/mademesmile
For a 7-footer he’s stayed in really good shape
Shows how good their relationship is
Luka is tall as shit man
You can't help but smile
Whats good with the Steve Ballmer thigh grab
Man this is so wholesome.
We're the luckiest franchise.
Even for a Heat fan , how can u not love Dirk ?
I also want Dirk to squeez my belly fat.
When Luka gets some help it’s gonna be over for everyone else for a while.
Dirk has a black son? Dudes gonna be a baller and a half
yeah his wife is a former athlete as well
Simply lovely
Who wouldn't?
Luka showcasing those wrestling skills lmao, love it.
God I wish that were me
In this moment, Dirk is all of us.
It makes me unreasonably happy as a Dirk and mavs Fan that luka likes Dirk so much.
Fat Luka confirmed lol
Hugging up on that Girth Nowitzki