Mark Cuban Says Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks Jersey Retirement Could Happen This Season

Dirk Nowitzki's jersey could be hanging in the American Airlines Center's rafters at some point during the 2021-22 season.

Dallas Mavericks governor Mark Cuban appeared on 97.1 The Eagle (h/t Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News) and said the jersey retirement is "potentially happening this year" with the timing "up to Dirk because Dirk travels a lot these days."

Cuban also said Nowitzki approved the initial prototype of a statue that will eventually be built in his honor.

The team governor also provided updates on the current squad:

As for Nowitzki, he is a Mavericks legend. It is only fitting there will be a statue of him, and his jersey will be in the rafters considering he was the defining figure of Dallas basketball for so many years.

He played all 21 of his seasons for the Mavericks from 1998-99 through 2018-19 and built a resume that included a championship, NBA Finals MVP, league MVP, 12 All-NBA selections and 14 All-Star Game selections.

Nowitzki won his league MVP in 2006-07 behind per-game averages of 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists for a team that went 61-21 during the regular season.

Yet his defining moment came during the 2011 NBA Finals when he led the Mavericks to a stunning victory over the powerhouse Miami Heat squad that featured LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

He averaged 26.0 points and 9.7 rebounds a night in that series while shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range and providing enough starpower to counter Miami's.

Now, Nowitzki's jersey will be in the rafters alongside that championship banner.