Dirk Nowitzki admitted it ‘would’ve been fun’ to stay in Milwaukee after 1998 draft

Yes, Dirk Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year NBA career in Dallas and it is clear that this partnership ended up being pretty great, especially considering he conquered a league championship and eventually earned a Hall of Fame induction. However, ever wondered what would’ve happened if the German had stayed in Milwaukee? 

Let’s just try and imagine for a second that the iconic big man doesn’t have a statue outside the Mavericks’ arena, and that he would’ve been picked in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Bucks. This is precisely what happened, only that the legendary center was then traded to Texas in a swap for Robert “Tractor” Traylor.

Considering the great German traditions that exist in Wisconsin’s capital, Dirk believes he would’ve had a wonderful time playing for the Bucks. During a recent interview on Thanasis Antetokounmpo’s podcast, he expressed that, “I think Milwaukee would have been great.”

How many championships would the Bucks have won if we never traded Dirk Nowitzki? pic.twitter.com/XsJzbhqaib

— Tyler Swish (@MalikThr33sly) August 14, 2024

“A lot of bratwursts,” the German joked on The Thanalysis Show. “I think Milwaukee would have been fun. Being in Dallas, I enjoyed my time. It’s my new home. I still live there. It ended up working out for me. But I think Milwaukee would have been fun.”

Dirk acknowledged that the player chosen by the Bucks seemed to have more potential than he did at the time, so he understands their decision. “They wanted Tractor Traylor, who was a really good college player at Michigan at the time,” said the former Mavericks star.

“I didn’t go to the draft,” the Hall of Famer told Antetokounmpo. “I was in Germany at the time. I wasn’t sure maybe I’ll play in Europe more. I never committed that I was going to play in the NBA. I didn’t think I was going to get drafted very high.”

Nowitzki then told the story of what happened exactly when he was chosen as the 9th pick after the draft-night exchange. “One or two days later, Don Nelson showed up in my hometown of Wurzburg and said, ‘Hey, we want you.’ Flew me back to Dallas, met Steve Nash, (former Wisconsin Badger) Michael Finley. I loved it. I’m going to do it,” he recalled.

Dirk then praised Jason’s ability to connect with his pupils, and bringing the best out of them through inspiration and loyalty. “He knows how to relate to players and they show him a lot of respect,” he explained.

Nowitzki now guarantees that Kidd is a different person than he was back in 2014 when he started with Milwaukee on Giannis Antetokounmpo’s second year. “I heard some of the stories from Milwaukee,” Dirk said. “I think he was a little … (the Bucks) were a young team at the time. He wanted control a little bit more.”