When the end came _ and there were absolutely no assurances early Tuesday night that this was, in fact, the last home game of Dirk Nowitzki's NBA odyssey _ Donnie Nelson sounded like your typical weeping parent.
"I don't know if I'm going to cry tonight or what," he said before the Mavericks took on Phoenix. "Mom and Dad were right. If this is it, and it feels like this is it, the 21 years went fast."
The Mavericks president also remarked on the irony that Nowitzki, who made his name in San Antonio at the Hoops Summit in 1998, could finish his career in the Alamo City on Wednesday. Nelson, who basically pioneered the signing of European players when he brought Sarunas Marciulionis from Lithuania to Golden State a decade before Dirk arrived from Germany, worked as hard as anyone to make Nowitzki a Maverick all those years ago. Teammates and fans have reaped the benefits for 1,521 games.
It was quickly evident Tuesday this was no ordinary Suns-Mavericks game. Most of the American Airlines Center crowd stood for the Mavs' layup drill 15 minutes before tipoff. The energy in the building felt more like the second round of the playoffs than a game between teams with 110 losses.
Head coach Rick Carlisle wore a "41.21.1" T-shirt beneath his suit jacket (jersey number-years-teams). Guards Devin Harris and J.J. Barea spoke to the crowd before the game began.
"Dirk Nowitzki, what can I say?" Barea said. "Other than me having to carry you in the 2011 playoffs, I can't say much."
It was that kind of night, and it immediately became Dirk's kind of night.
Nowitzki scored the Mavericks' first points. And the next ones. And the next ones.
And then the next ones.
Less than four minutes in, Dallas had a 10-8 lead and the 10 were Dirk's on 4-of-7 shooting including two from 3-point range. It's wasn't until Dwight Powell made a pair of free throws (off what would have been a Nowitzki assist without the foul) that another Dallas player reached the scoring column.
I have thought for most of this season, and especially for the last month or two, that Nowitzki should announce a decision to retire or come back for an improbable 22nd year. Make it clear one way or the other, but do it for his own benefit.
Instead, he made the right call by preserving the ambiguity of the night. Somehow not knowing what this was _ a legend's final night in Dallas or simply a prelude to giving it a go with Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis next fall _ heightened the magic of the moment.
Upon entering the arena, fans were shown "The Perfect Shot," the German documentary from 2014 that traced Dirk's career to that point. In one memorable scene from the film, Nowitzki is conversing with Helmut Schmidt, the former Chancellor of Germany. After being told Nowitzki is about to turn 35, Schmidt asks if he can play another 10 years.
"No, three or four I guess," Dirk tells him. "It gets hard to play at 40."
Nowitzki is wrapping up his sixth season since then, going not-so-strong every night but still launching the occasional perfect shots and, against Memphis on Friday and Phoenix on Tuesday, a swinging-on-the-rim dunk.
Whenever the finish comes, Dallas fans wanted Dirk to know it has been a heck of a ride. The organization didn't disappoint with a series of announcements and tributes from teammates and others about the special play that has made Nowitzki not just the No. 6 scorer in NBA history but a game-changing figure.
Before the game Carlisle said he considers Dirk a top 12 player all-time.
"The thing you can't quantify with Dirk is he has been such a consistent player in the modern era with limited Hall of Fame help," Carlisle said.
Vince Carter, Robert Parish, Kevin Garnett and Kevin Willis all matched Nowitzki in playing 21 NBA seasons. None stayed in the same city the entire time. Dallas has been treated to its share of superstars and Hall of Famers, but one of them sticking around for more than two decades is unthinkable.
That's why the fans that filled the AAC (for once) probably were split on whether they hoped this was an authentic goodbye or wishing he would give it one more season. When Nowitzki opened the second quarter with his third 3-pointer of the game, the roar was as loud as when he scored the first points of the night or when he passed Wilt Chamberlain for that No. 6 spot on the all-time list three weeks ago.
Mavs fans were doing the best they could to match the staying power of their greatest player ever.
