The woes of the Dallas Mavericks the current NBA season keep piling up. Aside from having the worst Western Conference record, the team had to deal with another blow: star forward Dirk Nowitzki is out "indefinitely."
Based on a report from Star-Telegram, Dallas Mavericks team owner Mark Cuban managed to joke that since he doesn't know when his star player will be healthy again, Nowitzki can return within a "a day, a week, a month, or his 66th birthday." Cuban turned serious as he announced, "Indefinitely means we're just not giving you a timetable."
Since the beginning of training camp, the 38-year-old forward had been suffering from soreness in his right Achilles tendon, and has only played in the Mavs' 19 games. He's notching averages of 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, a subpar performance from the 13-time NBA All-Star and '06 Most Valuable Player.
Based on a report from Jobs & Hire, speculations rose that this might just be the end of the road between Nowitzki and the Mavs. The veteran played the entirety of his 19 seasons with Dallas, a rarity in the league where players bolt for teams that can give them the highest pay or the biggest chance to win an NBA championship.
Nowitzki eliminated any doubt about his commitment to return to the game and help the struggling Mavericks. ESPN's Tim McMahon reports that Nowitzki was "all-in" and downplays retirement rumors, saying that his Achilles injury is not career-ending.
"There's still a lot of season left. I don't want to jump in and out of the lineup with soreness or fight this whole year. I'd love to be healthy and stay out there once I go," Nowitzki remarked after the Mavs' 107-82 win over the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 4. He is out indefinitely but hopes to return before the end of the month.
Nowitzki also reveals that the Mavs' athletic training staff has been increasing his workouts recently. He has run on a treadmill and got to put in some playing time during practice. He did acknowledge, however, that he need to have more progress before he can resume his dominant form.
