“Mavs Can’t Do Anything Right”: Agitated Fans Respond to Dirk Nowitzki’s Injury Scare at Dallas Event

Imagine believing you can jump over a 7ft Dirk Nowitzki and hit a dunk. The worst part of this could be not only failing terribly but also risking the former NBA star’s own safety. However, this scenario actually came true recently during an amateur dunk contest, where the 2011 NBA champ acted as a volunteer.

A video by @DallasTexasTV showed Nowitzki almost taken out by a fan, who tried leaping over the 7 ft NBA star for a dunk. This occurred at PNC Plaza outside of the American Airlines Center before Game 3 between the Mavericks and Celtics. While some fans were taking part in a pre-game dunk contest, Nowitzki himself volunteered to act as a prop for a fan.

Dirk was holding the ball above his shoulders for the dunker to leap over him, but little did the 14x All-Star know he was showing more than the required trust in the fan’s capabilities. The fan named Chris crashed into the former Mavs star during the dunk, almost making him take a fall.

Fortunately, the Mavs special advisor did not seem to sustain any injury and will likely be present at Game 4 to catch up on his team’s final chance at pulling the series their way. Meanwhile, the whole incident led netizens to express hilarity and distress for not just Nowitzki but his team as well.

Fans react to the epic fail involving Dirk Nowitzki as dunk prop

Most of the reply section on NBA Central’s X post was about the fan — Chris — who crashed into Dirk Nowitzki. While some X users were concerned about the Mavs star, a lot of them found the announcer’s disappointed “Damn Chris” comment in one swift breath hilarious.

“My foot is really bad, there are days when I don’t move well at all,” Nowitzki once said, per HoopsHype. Notably, the 14 All Star also had some issues with his left ankle, which was also once operated on. So it was only natural that someone would be worried about his existing problems after this incident. A fan reflected his concerns as he wrote, “…. dirk already struggling to walk why the hell would you do this bruh?…”

Dunk slams aren’t a new thing. The contests every year have pulled some of the shocking reactions. Including this year’s Mac McClung soar over the 7ft Shaquille O’Neal which earned him 50 points. However, fans weren’t impressed with the fan attempting it with an equal sized Dirk Nowitzki.“Dude didn’t know Dirk 7FT?!” he commented.

Meanwhile, one X user seemed to take a dig at the Mavericks’s current position in the Finals series. “Mavs can’t do anything right,” he commented. The team is presently 3-0 against the Celtics and a comeback from this will only be a miracle. Notably, no team in the league history has made a comeback from a 3-0 deficit in the NBA Finals.

However, comeback is the least of the concern for some. The priority is to avoid a clean sweep. And he believes if anyone can ensure avoiding this embarrassing situation, it’s Nowitzki. “He needs to play tonight to save the mavs from getting swept!” read his reply on the post. The 14x All Star has been one of the best the Mavericks ever had. He even led the team to claim the franchise’s first and only NBA championship yet.

Now, even if the Mavs manage to save themselves from the clean sweep, the bigger question — can they make a comeback in the series — still exists, considering they entered as fan favorites?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the Reese-Clark rivalry and more, watch this video.