LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Dallas talisman Dirk Nowitzki made his long-awaited first appearance of a record-setting 21st NBA season with the Mavericks on Thursday.
The 2007 NBA Most Valuable Player from Germany came off the bench in the first quarter against the Suns in Phoenix. No other NBA player has played so many seasons with the same team.
He had been tied at 20 seasons with the same club with former Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant.
Nowitzki, the seventh-leading scorer in NBA history, hadn’t played in a game since March and had surgery on his left ankle in April. He had hoped to be ready for the start of the season but continued soreness in the ankle slowed his return.
The 40-year-old acknowledged recently that he expected it to be tough to regain his rhythm and get comfortable with the pace of play.
He entered the game with 3:27 left in the first quarter, and promptly banked in a 15-foot jump shot.
© Agence France-Presse
