Dirk Nowitzki
By Arthur Weinstein on

Dirk Nowitzki has done some NBA broadcasting in the past, but Saturday, he stepped into the big time, as a guest analyst for TNT’s popular Inside the NBA show.

The Dallas Mavericks legend filled in for Shaquille O’Neal for coverage of Game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals between the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves. And based on viewer comments on X/Twitter, he rocked the gig.

Charles Barkley broke the ice for Nowitzki by recounting an hilarious tale about when he met Nowitzki.

“Dirk, you had a somewhat successful career,” Barkley joked about Nowitzki, who entered the Hall of Fame in 2023. “Don’t you think if you had went to Auburn like I tried to talk you into, you would have been even more successful?”

Barkley continued with the story.

“We take an All-Star team over to Germany, and he’s 18, he’s got 30 at halftime, and we’re like, ‘Who’s that dude?’ … After the game I walk up to him and said, ‘Who are you?’ He said, ‘I’m Dirk Nowitzki.’ I said, ‘You’re 18? You want to go to Auburn?’

“He looked at me with a straight face and said, ‘I’ve gotta go in the army.’

“I said, ‘Dude, you’re 7-feet tall, you’re not going in the army.'”

“That’s a true story. That’s a true story,” Nowitzki confirmed.


Nowitzki remains extremely popular with fans in retirement. He’s done some broadcast work on Mavericks games with Bally Sports Southwest. He also serves as an adviser for the franchise.

NBA fans liked what they saw from Nowitzki’s guest appearance.


[@awfulannouncing; Photo Credit: TNT]

About Arthur Weinstein

Arthur spends his free time traveling around the U.S. to sporting events, state and national parks, and in search of great restaurants off the beaten path.

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