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Mavericks gift Dirk Nowitzki an awesome statue of himself for Christmas

Dirk Nowitzki received a huge gift on Christmas morning when the Dallas Mavericks unveiled an awesome statue of the legendary forward outside of American Airlines Center.

Team governor Mark Cuban promised he would erect a statue in Nowitzki's honor when the team retired Nowitzki's No. 41 jersey earlier this year, and this moment delivered on that promise. The statue features Nowitzki's iconic one-legged fadeaway that helped him become one of the best players in NBA history. Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game in his 21-year career.

The artist who made the statue, Omri Amrany, also designed a few sculptures of other NBA legends, including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Shaquille O'Neal. Details on the statue include the shoes and jersey Nowitzki wore during the Mavericks' title season in 2011 as well as a phrase that reads, "Loyalty never fades away," at the base.

“It’s 21 letters for my 21 years here," Nowitzki told ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Nowitzki currently sits sixth on the NBA's all-time scoring leaderboard with 31,560 points and has been named to 14 All-Star rosters, 12 All-NBA rosters and won an MVP and a Finals MVP. He'll be eligible for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Dirk Nowitzki's statue honors the Mavericks legend's iconic shot. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
Dirk Nowitzki's statue honors the Maverick legend's iconic shot. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)
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