Warriors vs. Mavs: Dirk Nowitzki’s final game at Oracle

When the Golden State Warriors face the Dallas Mavericks tonight, it will certainly be Dirk Nowitzki’s last game in Oakland if not his last against the reigning champions.

Anthony Slater of The Athletic wrote an excellent profile of Nowitzki as he likely heads into retirement, describing Nowitzki’s special place in Oracle Arena mythology as the Warriors prepare for their move to the Chase Center in San Francisco.

Despite the painful memories that the arena holds for Nowitzki, he had some positive words about the arena that Warriors diehards have come to know and love.

...it’s his swan song in Oracle. The Warriors are moving this summer. The Mavericks aren’t making the playoffs. Nowitzki will never play there again.

“Oracle was always a fun place to play,” Nowitzki said. “Even in the years early in my career, when the team wasn’t good, I thought the fans were always amazing there. Always great crowds. Always loud when they made runs. A great stop.

The whole article is worth a read if you’re looking to kill time before the game, but hopefully Nowitzki gets a warm welcome and/or farewell tonight as one of the NBA’s all-time greats.

Feel free to share your thoughts about Nowitzki, the matchup, or your thoughts on the game as it happens in the comments below.