When Kobe Bryant wanted to link up with Dirk Nowitzki at the Lakers, Mavs legend discloses “It was super cool”
Dirk Nowitzki reveals Kobe Bryant's attempt to recruit him to Lakers
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Lakers' Kobe Bryant (L) and Mavs' Dirk Nowitzki (R)
Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki are undisputed legends of the NBA, having dedicated their entire careers to a single franchise. Kobe dominated the court in purple and gold with the Los Angeles Lakers, while Dirk wowed audiences in Blue and White with the Dallas Mavericks. However, what many may not know is that there was a moment in time when Kobe attempted to lure Dirk over to the Lakers.
Nowitzki, the retired Dallas Mavericks legend, recently disclosed that Bryant, the late Los Angeles Lakers icon, had tried to recruit him to join the Purple and Gold in 2011. However, Nowitzki turned down the offer and stayed loyal to the Mavericks, earning Bryant’s respect and admiration.
Bryant, who had won five titles with the Lakers, was looking for another star to join him in LA. He called Nowitzki during free agency and tried to recruit him. But he also knew what Nowitzki’s answer would be. “(I said,) ‘Dirk, I know you’re not leaving Dallas, I get it, but I gotta make the call,‘” Bryant said in 2016.
Nowitzki revealed this story in an interview with The Athletic’s Tim Cato. He said he was honored to get a call from Bryant, who he considered the best player he ever faced. But he also said he wanted to finish his career with the Mavs, the only team he ever played for.
“I was honored to get the call from Kobe. I have never made it a big secret, I was a big Kobe Bryant fan. To me, he’s still the best player I’ve ever played against in my career. It was super cool to get that call from him but I think he respected me almost more when I said, ‘Listen, I’ve been here so long. I want to finish my career here.’ That’s what I ended up doing and I am glad I did. Even though there were some tough years down the stretch in Dallas where things weren’t going well. But that’s a part of it, you can’t only be in there in the good times,” said Nowitzki.
How Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki led their teams to glory?
Bryant and Nowitzki were two of the greatest players of their generation. They both spent their entire careers with one franchise, won championships, and MVP awards and both had a fierce rivalry and mutual respect. They faced each other many times on the court, including in the 2011 playoffs. That year, Nowitzki led the Mavs to a stunning sweep of the Lakers in the second round. He then went on to win his first and only title, beating LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the Finals.
Nowitzki appreciated Bryant’s gesture, but he was loyal to the Mavs. He signed a four-year extension with Dallas in 2010 and later took pay cuts to help the team sign other players. He retired in 2019 as the sixth all-time leading scorer in NBA history. Bryant also retired in 2016 as the third all-time leading scorer in NBA history (he was later surpassed by LeBron James). He tragically died in a helicopter crash in 2020, along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.
Nowitzki said he was still saddened by Bryant’s death and that he considered him “the Michael Jordan of our generation“. He also said he was sure that Bryant would have attended his jersey retirement ceremony earlier this month if he were alive.
Nowitzki and Bryant will always be remembered as two of the greatest players of all time, who led their teams to glory with their talent, passion, and loyalty.
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Ankush Singh
(616 Articles Published)