Newly retired Dirk Nowitzki thinks about coaching someday, also enjoys wine
Dirk Nowitzki has been retired for just a week now, but the former 40-year-old Dallas Mavericks star is already letting himself think about the future.
Nowitzki was recently interviewed by German newspaper Die Zeit, and he mentioned returning to basketball in a few years. Not as a player, of course, but as a coach. Via Reuters:
“After one or two years I can see myself being happy ... as a coach or a manager. [...] I would like to be a mentor for a young player and ... accompany them through their career in my very own way.”
Nowitzki as a coach is an interesting thought. Not only is he a player who came to the U.S. from Europe (Germany specifically), he played for one team his entire career. His experience is different than many other NBA players, but being with Dallas for so long allowed him to see many different kinds of players come to the Mavericks. He has an interesting perspective on the game and wants to help guide players, and while that alone doesn’t always mean someone will be a good coach, it’s certainly part of it.
But it doesn’t sound like he’s ready yet to jump into the next phase of his post-playing career. Nowitzki has been indulging a little now that his playing days are behind him.
“In the past week I had some cake and I also had my first glass of wine after 10 years of abstinence. I was really warm inside after only a few sips. That felt good.”
Wine and cake?! Dirk, you bad boy!
Kidding, of course. Retirement means getting to do things that the rigors of NBA life made impossible. For Nowitzki, that means having some booze and some baked goods. Plus, wine and cake with Dirk Nowitzki sounds like it would be a high quality evening.
Nowitzki also told Die Zeit that he has no regrets about how he left the game, which was one of his biggest concerns in making the decision to retire. From Reuters:
“What I did not want to happen under any circumstance was to say goodbye and be sitting at home, thinking ‘damn, you would really like to play now. Why did you do this.’ But my body was not good. To be honest my foot where I had surgery last year was not well throughout the year. I knew it would not be getting any better.”
Enjoy your wine and cake, Dirk Nowitzki. After 21 seasons, you’ve earned it.
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