DALLAS _ The 2016-17 season has been such an injury-riddled and frustrating one for Dirk Nowitzki that the Dallas Mavericks' all-time leading scorer is considering retirement.
At least that's according to one foreign publication.
The 38-year old Nowitzki recently told a German magazine _ Bild _ of his painful body: "If things don't go so well and it hurts everywhere, it could be that 2017 will be the end.
"Actually, my plan is to complete the 20 years and play for Dallas until 2018. But just because I have signed a two-year contract doesn't automatically mean that I will play for two years."
Nowitzki, who was born and raised in Germany, has played in only five of the Mavericks' 25 games this season because of a strained right Achilles. The injury has restricted his mobility and stripped him of his ability to get up and down the court.
Prior to Wednesday's 95-85 loss to the Detroit Pistons, owner Mark Cuban shrugged off reports of Nowitzki hanging it up.
Cuban said: "Until he says hasta la vista to me, I've got him playing another five years."
Nowitzki, by the way, was working out less than 10 feet away when Cuban made that remark, and only smiled.
And coach Rick Carlisle didn't exactly say he's seeing the end of the 7-footer's illustrious career.
Instead, Carlisle directed his conversation toward a period when Nowitzki will return to the court, although he admittedly doesn't exactly know when that will occur.
"Signs are positive, and (head athletic trainer) Casey Smith and Dr. (Daniel) Worrel have spent a lot of time analyzing this, working through it," Carlisle said. "He's had some diagnostic testing done the last couple of weeks that show that there has been an improvement since the early stages, which is great news, and so we're moving toward some ultimate good news at some point, but I don't know when that is.
"I'm really reluctant to talk enthusiastically about how close we're getting because I think that puts undo pressure on a guy that has been playing hurt his entire career and deserves a chance to work through this the right way. Look, we'll get as many positives out of this in his absence ultimately, and we need him back of course, but I don't have a timetable."
Nowitzki is sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring list with 29,552 points. The only players ahead of him are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419).
After Nowitzki signed a two-year, $50 million contract with the Mavericks last July, it was generally assumed that he would surpass Chamberlain and move into the top five since he said his plans were to fulfill that contract. But Nowitzki hasn't played since the Nov. 23 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers and has missed the last 10 contests.
When asked Tuesday while the Mavericks were spreading holiday cheer at Lakewest rehabilitation center in West Dallas when he planned to start practicing again, Nowitzki said: "I don't know.
"I'll just do more day-by-day and then we'll see how it is at the end of the week."
Carlisle was more direct on the topic.
"My understanding is that he's doing better, but it's going slowly," Carlisle said. "It's been moving gradually, but the needle is inching.
"It's not taking quantum leaps."
