Dirk Nowitzki 'Barely Got Any Sleep' Before Final Game of Career

Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki played the final game of his legendary career on Wednesday, posting 20 points and 10 rebounds in a 105-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center.

After it was all over, he acknowledged that the last 36 hours or so had been "physically and emotionally draining":

"I barely got any sleep last night," Nowitzki told Fox Sports Southwest after the game. "I was super excited."

It was long speculated that he would retire at the end of the season, but Nowitzki did not make anything official until the team's final home game on Tuesday:

Prior to his final NBA game, the Spurs paid homage to their longtime Western Conference rival with a tribute video:

The San Antonio franchise wasn't the only one to honor the future Hall of Famer, though. His decision to hang up his sneakers led to an outpouring of support:

After being taken with the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year career in Dallas. He holds the league record for most years spent with one franchise.

Last season came to an early end after he played 77 games. He underwent ankle surgery in early April, something done to help him get through another season. He did not appear in a game this season until mid-December, missing his team's first 26 games.

For the first time since his rookie season, he was used primarily off the bench in the 2018-19 campaign, as he was less than one year removed from surgery. He entered Wednesday's action averaging 7.1 points on 35.8 percent shooting and 3.0 rebounds in 15.3 minutes per game, all the lowest figures of his career.

The veteran forward gave fans a bit of nostalgia this week, though, as he went for 30 points in his final game in Dallas on Tuesday.

That set the stage for his farewell game on Wednesday. The final of his 31,560 career points came with less than one minute remaining in the game:

He retires in sixth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Nowitzki can hang it up knowing that his place in history is secure. He is a 14-time All-Star who won the 2007 NBA MVP award, an NBA championship and the 2011 NBA Finals MVP award. Not only that, but the 7'0", 245-pound forward also helped break the mold of the way big men play the game.