KEY POINTS

  • Dirk Nowitzki wants nothing to do with coaching due to family reasons
  • He tied the knot with wife Jessica Olsson back in 2012 and now have three children
  • Nowitzki also reveals his reasons for joining the Mavericks as a special advisor

Perennial fan-favorite and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki has confirmed that a future in coaching is not in his plans right now.

Nowitzki revealed as much a day before his jersey retirement ceremony in the Mavericks’ home game against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, January 5.

“Team coaching? It’s the last thing I want to do, honestly. Standing there, holding speeches, motivating guys to play but they’re on their phone half of the time. I barely have the patience with my kids. I don’t know if I have the patience to coach a team and deal with all that nonsense these days. I think that one [coaching] is out. Other than that, I think all of the options are on the table,” Nowitzki said via Jonah Javad of WFAA.

The 7-foot German power forward is arguably the player who popularized the stretch four position as his dependable three-point shooting coupled with his versatile scoring moves in the post allowed his Mavericks teams to remain competitive year in and year out.

Nowitzki’s efforts allowed teams like the 7 Seconds or Less Phoenix Suns and the Warriors Dynasty to flourish as both teams had multiple big men who could shoot the ball well from deep, which led into the current generation’s love for taking threes.

The NBA legend later added that coaching was out of the picture for him as he is fully focused on his family with his Swedish wife Jessica Olsson, whom he married in July 2012 after two years of dating. The pair currently have three children.

However, the 2007 league MVP and 2011 NBA champion also disclosed why he chose to be a special advisor for the Mavericks.

“I told them that I’m more than happy to be in that advising role to bring in my experience, whatever I see or text Mark [Cuban] whenever I see something in the game, or [head coach Jason] Kidd. Now what the future brings, it’s kind of all on the table, I guess," he stated.

"We haven’t really discussed what they could do, what they could be, but I think coaching is not in my plans. I think it could be fun working with the divisional guys. That’s something I could enjoy."

Nowitzki is eligible for Hall of Fame enshrinement in 2023, four full years after his retirement in 2019.

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