Kevin Love’s pitch for Dirk Nowitzki as the next general manager of the Dallas Mavericks landed hard because it touched something every Mavs fan already feels. When the franchise is looking for leadership, every fan’s mind goes to the one person who always who has always defined it. And no owner, no coach, no player has ever defined Dallas the way Dirk did.
That’s the core of Love’s argument. On Up & Adams, Love said:
“Just knows the game. But I also think, like you know, the sweat equity, and him being the face of that franchise, maybe forever and always. I think that he would do whatever he could to make that place special again, and for long term. And I think he’d put a lot of good people in place.”
“Dirk is very smart He’s the guy who influenced my basketball career more than anyone. So if I’m a betting man, I’m betting on Dirk Nowitzki to do a great job in whatever he does.”
Love knows what he is talking about. He has played with superstars like LeBron James, Jimmy Butler, and Kyrie Irving. He has won a title, and his voice carries weight around the league. Dirk is seen the same way, even more respected and steady. He spent his entire career in Dallas and has given everything to that franchise.
Dallas desperately needs a leader right now. Nico Harrison is out. The roster is collapsing. Luka Doncic is gone. Anthony Davis is hurt again. And the organization looks like it’s drifting without anyone steering it.
Names like Bob Myers and Dennis Lindsey make sense on paper. But Dirk offers something deeper. Something no résumé can replicate. He offers the identity the team lost the night he retired.
But then there’s the part no fan wants to hear. Dirk doesn’t want it.
In a recent interview with the Haymaker Network, he admitted the Mavericks already tried to groom him for a front office role. And he turned it down.
“I think when I sort of got closer to retirement, I think the first thing I thought was, I’m going to go in management. I’m going to go work with the Mavs. It’s a natural fit there. Of course, my last few years, I was sort of prepping for it. I went to the draft room always and kind of saw what the behind the scenes were.”
“And we talked to Keith Grant and all these guys a lot back in the days. And obviously, Cuban was always around. And so I thought that was a natural fit.”
“But the more time I actually spent away from the Mavs and got some separation, the daily grind of management was a little bit overwhelming. And obviously, the players get away in the summer for four months, but that’s when the management really starts.”
“Then it’s right to the draft and you got to do all the draft workouts. Then you go right into free agency, which is the busiest time of the year. And then you have a few weeks off, and then it goes right into camp.”
“So that just didn’t sound great to me as long as I’ve been out. And then I really enjoyed traveling with the family and spending some time away, and not so much here. And so now I actually can’t see that in my future, honestly. Being part of management is just something that would be too much at this point. And that’s why I think this gig with Amazon is a good fit.”
The irony? That honesty makes the idea of him running the team even more appealing. Fans don’t want someone chasing power. They want someone grounded enough to walk away when the job doesn’t feel right. Dirk choosing TV work with Amazon shows he’s thinking about happiness, not status.
Still, there’s a thread hanging in the air. Months ago, when asked if he would help the Mavericks, Dirk said he was always a phone call away. And now that Mark Cuban is back in the room, it’s hard to dismiss that line entirely. Some responsibilities aren’t about timing or career paths. They’re about legacy.
If the team he carried for twenty years asks him to carry it again, even for a short stretch, it’s tough to imagine Dirk not at least picking up the phone.
