I said it when Doc Rivers stopped an NBA game in order to offer an opponent a lifetime achievement award-winning reception from the opposing crowd, and I'll say it again. If everyone's favorite euro has his passion for basketball prevail over his interest in keeping his noticeably aging body in one piece then it will be awkwardly and endlessly entertaining, in a way perfectly fitting of Dirk Nowitzki, to see him return to the NBA next season. That being said, you've got to believe that he's starting to feel the pressure of being forced into retirement by, ironically enough, unprecedented displays of universal respect. We're talking about a road crowd absolutely roared the roof off the joint upon the soon-to-be 6th leading scorer in NBA history notching his first bucket in ten attempts during the waning minutes of a game in which his team was losing by damn near half a hundo. As awesome a moment as it was, if Dirk wasn't Dirk then that standing ovation would have been heard as far more of a juvenile jeer than any sort of genuine cheer. Point being, both foes and their fanbases are going so far out of their way to give him his well-deserved due, and rightfully so, that they can't possibly be expected to recreate such a reverent regard if this externally initiated farewell tour is more "c'ya later" than "goodbye". Again, I personally would enjoy seeing just how far a beyond beloved player can push those limits before he's seen as overstaying his welcome. However, for Dirk Nowitzki to do so he'd have to love the type of socially disconcerting situations that make Larry David curb his enthusiasm as much as he still loves his patented fadeaway "jumpers"...
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