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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki retired from the |
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| 6 | 7 | | National Basketball Association on April 11, 2019, and this |
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| 7 | 8 | | occasion offers a welcome opportunity to salute his outstanding |
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| 8 | 9 | | accomplishments in the sport; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, The 2018-2019 season was Mr. Nowitzki's 21st with |
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| 10 | 11 | | the Mavericks, which set an NBA record for the longest tenure with |
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| 11 | 12 | | one team; during his final campaign, he moved into sixth place on |
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| 12 | 13 | | the list of all-time leading scorers in NBA history, and when he |
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| 13 | 14 | | netted 20 points in his final game, he brought his career total to a |
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| 14 | 15 | | remarkable 31,560; his farewell year also saw him take the floor for |
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| 15 | 16 | | his 14th All-Star Game; and |
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| 16 | 17 | | WHEREAS, A native of Würzburg, Germany, this exceptional |
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| 17 | 18 | | athlete played pro basketball in his home country as a teenager and |
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| 18 | 19 | | first gained the attention of NBA scouts in 1998; after being |
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| 19 | 20 | | selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA draft that year, he was |
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| 20 | 21 | | immediately traded to Dallas; his presence helped transform the |
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| 21 | 22 | | franchise, and during 2000-2001, the Mavs recorded the first of |
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| 22 | 23 | | what would become 11 consecutive seasons in which they won 50 games |
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| 23 | 24 | | or more; in 2006, he helped the team make its debut in the NBA |
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| 24 | 25 | | Finals, and the next year he became the first European player to |
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| 25 | 26 | | receive the league's Most Valuable Player honor; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, In 2011, Mr. Nowitzki earned a place in the pantheon |
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| 27 | 28 | | of legendary Texas sports heroes by leading the Mavs to the NBA |
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| 28 | 29 | | championship, and he was named the finals MVP for his extraordinary |
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| 29 | 30 | | performance; his elite position among Dallas players is also |
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| 30 | 31 | | reflected in the record books; he is the team's all-time leader in |
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| 31 | 32 | | points, rebounds, blocked shots, minutes played, field goals, and |
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| 32 | 33 | | three-pointers; and |
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| 33 | 34 | | WHEREAS, Selected to the All-NBA Team 12 years in a row, |
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| 34 | 35 | | Mr. Nowitzki's accolades also include the Twyman-Stokes Teammate |
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| 35 | 36 | | of the Year Award, which recognized his selfless play and |
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| 36 | 37 | | leadership, and the Magic Johnson Award, which honored his |
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| 37 | 38 | | cooperation with the media and the public; moreover, he is a |
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| 38 | 39 | | two-time recipient of the NBA Cares Community Assist Award, and he |
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| 39 | 40 | | oversees the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, which funds charitable |
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| 40 | 41 | | initiatives related to children; and |
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| 41 | 42 | | WHEREAS, Over the course of more than two decades, Dirk |
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| 42 | 43 | | Nowitzki distinguished himself as one the NBA's finest players, and |
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| 43 | 44 | | the success he achieved as a member of the Dallas Mavericks will be |
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| 44 | 45 | | remembered and admired long into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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| 45 | 46 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas |
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| 46 | 47 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Dirk Nowitzki on his retirement |
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| 47 | 48 | | from the NBA and commend him on his exemplary career in professional |
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| 48 | 49 | | basketball; and, be it further |
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| 49 | 50 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 50 | 51 | | prepared for Mr. Nowitzki as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 51 | 52 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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