Wild pictures of Dirk Nowitzki surfaces as Luka Doncic ‘drinking problem’ gets bashed by Mavericks

Following reports of Luka Doncic's off court issues, images of Dirk Nowitzki's wild younger days caused the fans to call out Nico Harrison.

Wild pictures of Dirk Nowitzki surfaces as Luka Doncic ‘drinking problem’ gets bashed by Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki's old picture spark questions about Mavericks trading Luka Doncic

The one question on everyone’s mind after the Dallas Mavericks decided to trade Luka Doncic was the inexplicable reasoning behind such a major move. Doncic was supposed to be the star to take over and guide the Mavericks into their next era after the retirement of franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki. While the Mavs cited Doncic’s off court issues as a reason, that may be a tough pill to swallow for Mavs fans.

In the initial aftermath of the trade, Mavs GM Nico Harrison had cited on-court decisions as the primary motivation to trade Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis. However, additional reporting has painted a different picture, one that suggests that Doncic’s off-court concerns may have played a significant role in the franchise’s decision.

YouTube video

Among the factors that reportedly contributed to Dallas parting ways with their 25-year-old superstar were concerns about his fitness, conditioning, and most notably, his habits off the court – primarily his drinking and hookah habits as reports suggest. However, recent images of Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki partying in his youth have caused many to raise their eyebrows.

FS Video

Nowitzki, who led Dallas to its only championship in 2011, was never one to turn down nights out living the prime of his youth in his early career, as the inebriated pictures of him portray. Yet, the Mavericks never considered trading him, because… why would they?

Dirk Nowitzki eventually adopted a cleaner lifestyle, improved his conditioning, and played for over two decades. However, Luka Doncic was never allowed the same liberty by the Mavericks, even though former majority owner Mark Cuban claimed that Doncic had an even higher ceiling as a star than the Mavs German stalwart. This has been the cause of some serious outrage for fans.

Fans left infuriated after seeing images of ‘drunk’ Dirk Nowitzki

For Mavericks supporters, the trade is a bitter pill to swallow. Seeing Dirk Nowitzki’s old photos only reinforced their belief that the front office had no legitimate reason to move on from Luka Doncic. If the German Wunderkind was allowed to mature into a champion without the franchise ever considering dealing him, why wasn’t Doncic, the obvious successor to him, given the same opportunity?

Fans also pointed to Nikola Jokic, who is arguably the best player in the world today. Jokic has often faced scrutiny over his conditioning. Yet, the Denver Nuggets never wavered in their commitment to Jokic, understanding that his generational talent far outweighed any concerns about fitness or lifestyle choices. And their patience paid off, when the Joker led them to an NBA championship in 2023.

The Mavericks, on the other hand, took a different approach, one that is unbelievably difficult to comprehend no matter what one makes of it. No team in their right minds, willingly trades away their generational talent and asset in the prime of their youth, regardless of his off-court concerns, which barely crack the surface of the issues of some NBA stars in the league.