Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki and current star player Luka Doncic were on for the World Series game. The two of them had been keeping tabs on the game throughout. Seeing the Rangers’ incredible performance in game 1, the two, along with a few other famous faces, had arrived to watch them in action. But they were upset to see the Texas Rangers lose to the Arizona Diamondbacks in Game 2.
The Mavs star, Doncic, had an incredible performance tonight against the Grizzlies in a 125-110 victory. In the post-game conference, Doncic had a hilarious reply when asked about the Rangers’ loss when he was in attendance.
Luka Doncic has no hand in the Rangers’ loss
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Hailing from Slovenia, Doncic has become a true Texan after joining the NBA. His love for the state transforms into baseball as well, the second-most popular sport. So it’s natural to see him sad after the Rangers’ loss, even if it was for one game. But he is not ready to be held responsible because Texas lost when he was in attendance. Which is why he transfers it all to Dirk Nowitzki. Talking to reporters after his triple-double win against the Memphis Grizzlies, he says on the Rangers topic, “Blame it on Dirk.” Doncic’s excitement at the Rangers’ win in Game 1 prompted him to tweet words of encouragement before his arrival for the Game 2 of the series.
Luka Doncic says “blame it on Dirk” for the Rangers losing when he attends their games.
Watch Luka’s full post-game: https://t.co/1sHo4qvBAh pic.twitter.com/x5APmNOS1I
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) October 31, 2023
Rangers!!’ Lets go !! See u tommorow 😊💯
— Luka Doncic (@luka7doncic) October 28, 2023
Unfortunately, the players either got jittery or Arizona got the better of them. With Merrill Kelley and Ketel Marte in top forms, the D-backs won 9-1 over Texas, tying the series. But the Rangers did not back off, getting a 2-1 advantage over the Arzona-based team with a 3-1 win.
Going back to basketball, Dirk Nowitzki is also a foreign player that the NBA and America have accepted wholeheartedly. Let’s take a look at the German big man’s introduction to basketball.
Dirk Nowitzki – the Mavs’ franchise man
Nowitzki’s love for basketball stems from his mom. She was a member of the West German basketball national team. And when her son showed interest in her favorite sport, she offered all her support. Selected as the ninth overall pick in the NBA draft of 1998 by the Bucks, Dirk was traded to the Mavericks. Big mistake.
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His run with Dallas was Nowitzki’s career highlight. And the Mavericks’. Not having set foot in the playoffs for eight straight seasons as a franchise, Dirk led the team to the playoffs in 2000-01 after winning 53 games. In the 2005-06 season, he got the Mavericks to the NBA Finals before losing to the Miami Heat, but the next season saw him winning the 2007 MVP for leading the team to their best record in the league.
Watch This Story: Diamondbacks’ Dynamic Trio: Carroll, Kelly, and Marte Shine as Snakes Seal Victory in World Series Game 2 Against Texas Rangers
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The greatest hit was when Dirk Nowitzki led Dallas to their first NBA win in the 2010-11 season, where he was also named the Finals MVP. 2014 saw him passing Hakeem Olajuwon to be the highest foreign scorer at 26,947 points. And now, in 2023, Nowitzki was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, bringing his life’s work to a full circle.
With Luka being given the same level of admiration as Dirk, do you think he’ll be able to lead the Mavs to glory as well?