Los Angeles, United States—Dwyane Wade and Dirk Nowitzki bade emotional farewells to the NBA on Tuesday as the regular season neared its finale with Magic Johnson’s resignation plunging the Los Angeles Lakers into fresh turmoil.
Miami Heat star Wade and beloved Dallas Mavericks forward Nowitzki both played their final games at home after a combined total of nearly 40 years in the sport.
While Wade’s last home game for the Heat had been planned, Nowitzki only finally confirmed his exit on Tuesday after 21 seasons with Dallas.
“As you guys might expect, this is my last home game,” Nowitzki told the crowd at the American Airlines Center.
“I’ve put you guys on a hell of a ride with a lot of ups and downs and you guys always stuck with me and supported me, and I appreciate it,” the 40-year-old added.
There was a similarly heartfelt send-off in Miami, where the Heat were eliminated from playoff contention despite beating the Philadelphia 76ers 122-99.
“I love y’all, man,” Wade told the crowd after scoring 30 points in the loss. “I thank you guys for dancing with me this year. I thank y’all for your patience this year. I thank y’all for the love,” the 37-year-old three-time NBA champion said.
Miami were eliminated after Detroit defeated Memphis 100-93.
The German power forward is the most successful European ever to grace the NBA, ranking sixth on the all-time scorers list with more than 31,000 points.
After watching Nowitzki become the oldest player to score 30 points in the Mavs’ 120-109 defeat of Phoenix, Dallas owner Mark Cuban told the veteran forward: “I promise we’ll put up the biggest, most badass statue ever.””‹