Dirk Nowitzki Says NBA More Focused on Money Than Loyalty

Dirk Nowitzki is heading into his 20th season with the Dallas Mavericks, but he understands that not everyone has the same dedication to their franchise. 

Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Thursday, the 39-year-old discussed the current state in the NBA, saying that it is more about "making money and winning" than being loyal:

"For me, it was always easy to be loyal," he said.

Nowitzki was drafted in the first round of the 1998 NBA draft and has stuck with the Mavericks since, earning 13 All-Star appearances, an MVP award and an NBA title. He leads all active players and ranks sixth all time with 30,260 points.

This success likely made it easy to stay in the same location, as is the more than $245 million he has earned in his career, per Basketball Reference.

He represents the last of a generation of superstars who spent their entire career in one location, including Kobe Bryant and Tim Duncan.

There is definitely a different mindset with current stars, with Kevin Durant's move to the Oklahoma City Thunder arguably being the most notable. The former MVP with the Thunder joined an already elite squad and helped bring home a championship in dominant fashion.

Several elite players have since changed teams this offseason, either through free agency or trades. Seven different players who were All-Stars last season are on a different roster now, which doesn't even include Chris Paul.

While the loyalty works both ways between the teams and players, you can expect fewer big names to remain on the same roster for over a decade in the new era of the NBA.