Although it has been more than a decade since the 2011 NBA Finals, the behavior displayed by Dirk Nowitzki immediately after winning the championship still puzzles fans today. As some members of the basketball community will know, Dirk is a former NBA star who spent his entire career playing for the Dallas Mavericks.
While Nowitzki won only 1 NBA championship in his entire career, it is considered one of the most impressive title runs in the history of the league. However, as soon as he defied the odds and won the title, his immediate actions following his success are a mystery that many fans do not understand. With that being said, a throwback to the past is required.
Dirk Nowitzki stunned NBA fans by leaving the stadium after winning the 2011 NBA championship
Fans who know about the history of the NBA will be aware that Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks made it to the NBA Finals in 2011 and faced off against a prime LeBron James and the Miami Heat. Given that the Heat had formed a superteam looking to establish itself as a dynasty, the majority of the NBA world picked Miami to defeat Dallas in that series and win the championship.
However, Dirk and his squad managed to pull off a comeback to win the series within 6 games and brought the Mavericks their first title in franchise history. After the game had concluded, Dirk immediately headed to the locker room as opposed to staying on the court and relishing his moment of victory.
Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavs won the NBA Finals 13 years ago today
pic.twitter.com/bgWSyzYwYl— Dallas Texas TV (@DallasTexasTV) June 12, 2024
I’ll never forgive Dirk for how he walked off the court like that. Completely diminished winning an NBA title by doing that
— JD_Jesse_&_ELLA_BLKD_Me (@JD_Jesse_BLKDMe) June 12, 2024
This is undoubtedly a different reaction than what fans are accustomed to seeing when NBA stars finally win a coveted title. Some fans have even gone far enough to claim that they will never understand or forgive Dirk for “disregarding” a moment that players across the league strive to have.
Dirk Nowitzki revealed why he made a quick exit many years later
Although there was no explanation offered at the time by Dirk, he soon revealed the truth in an interview many years later. Being the underdog and pulling off an impressive feat reduced him to tears and made him very emotional. Therefore, he first went to the locker room in order to gather himself and gain composure of his thoughts before returning to his teammates and hoisting the championship trophy.
Since many fans have not heard this explanation from Nowitzki, one can certainly understand why his reaction still causes confusion to those who watched the highlights from the game on social media. In any case, it could be considered unfair to have expected Dirk to gain control of himself and behave accordingly in a public setting immediately after the biggest accomplishment of his NBA career.