Commentary

Dirk enjoys final NBA All-Star Weekend representing MAVS

NNPA NEWSWIRE — The 40-year-old Nowitzki kept a busy weekend in Charlotte – serving as coach of the World Team for the Rising Stars Challenge – in which he coached teammate Luka Doncic – participated in the 3-point contest and participated in the All-Star Game on Sunday night as part of Team Giannis.

Published

5 years ago

February 23, 2019

Oakland Post

By Dorothy J. Gentry, Sports Editor, Texas Metro News

Charlotte – It was a family affair for Dirk Nowitzki in what was likely his last-ever NBA All-Star appearance. “My wife is here, my friends. The whole crew is here one more time. I was on the stage for the last time, so it’s been great.

My brother-in-law is here; he came to support,” Nowitzki said of NBA All-Star Weekend held in Charlotte, North Carolina. “So I had fun. I look forward to closing out this weekend out on a high. Then go back home and finish the season strong.”

The 40-year-old Nowitzki kept a busy weekend in Charlotte – serving as coach of the World Team for the Rising Stars Challenge – in which he coached teammate Luka Doncic – participated in the 3-point contest and participated in the All-Star Game on Sunday night as part of Team Giannis.

The NBA paid homage to the League legend, with large signs and posters in hotels and all over the downtown area near the site of the Spectrum Center where All-Star festivities took place.

He scored 17 points in the 3-point contest but did not make the finals. He won the contest in 2005-2006. In Sunday’s All-Star Game – he drained 3, 3 pointers in 4 minutes – a performance that had the bench and crowd at Spectrum Center on its feet. He finished with nine points for Team Giannis during their 178-164 loss to Team LeBron.

During the 3rd quarter he and Dwayne Wade – who has already announced his retirement from the League this year -were presented with honorary framed All-Star jerseys.

After the game, Dirk was swamped by players, fans, media and more are offering handshakes, hugs and well-wishes. He and they knew it would probably be his last All-Star Game.

“I wanted to just play a few minutes and hoist up a three and that’s exactly what happened. The first one, I was a little deep. But it’s the last time on this stage, I’m going to go for it, and it went in,” said Nowitzki, who was the oldest All-Star in attendance in Charlotte.

“The second one I thought, Let me step back a little more and see what happens, and it went in too. It was a fun all around weekend for me. It was a pleasure to compete with these guys one more time on this stage. We got honored in between the third and fourth quarter and that was emotional. It was great weekend for me.”

Nowitzki acknowledged that when things quiet down, he’ll take time to reflect. “Yeah, I think all that is going to be emotional once I sit back and get some time to think. But this weekend, I was just out there competing,” he said.

“It was fun and the whole week was great. They had me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Friday, I was coaching. Saturday, I was shooting [in the 3-Point Contest]. And then I was competing. It was fun. “

“I’m going to soak it all in. I think I’m going to get more emotional later when it is all said and done.”

Nowitzki said he appreciates the support and love from fans as well as athletes and knows decision-time is coming. “The fans have shown me a lot of love already on the road, even though I obviously haven’t announced that this is going to be it. I want to see how my body feels the last couple of weeks. If I get to see any improvement, if it’s still fun, and I guess we’re going to make that decision later.”

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Opinion: Surviving the Earthquake, an Eclipse and “Emil Amok.”

Last Friday, a 4.8 magnitude earthquake shook New York City, reported as the “biggest earthquake with an epicenter in the NYC area since 1884” when a 5.2 quake hit. A bit bigger. The last quake similar to Friday’s was a 4.9 in 1783.Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago. That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

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April 17, 2024

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In New York City, the eclipse was about 90 percent visible. Good enough for me. Though a full solar eclipse is a celestial rarity, blockages of any sort aren’t generally celebrated. My one-man play is about growing up with the eclipsed history of American Filipinos and how I struggle to unblock all that.

By Emil Guillermo

I’m a Northern Californian in New York City for the next few weeks, doing my one-man show, “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host, Wiley Filipino, Vegan Transdad.”

I must like performing in the wake of Mother Nature.

Alexander Hamilton felt it — 241 years ago.

That’s why New Yorkers were freaking out on Friday. They were in the room where it happens.

And it just doesn’t happen that often.

Beyonce singing country music happens more frequently.

When I felt New York shake last week, it reminded me of a time in a San Francisco TV newsroom when editors fretted about a lack of news an hour before showtime.

Then the office carpeting moved for a good ten seconds, and the news gods gave us our lead story.

On Friday when it happened in NYC, I noticed the lines in the carpeting in my room wiggling. But I thought it was from a raucous hotel worker vacuuming nearby.

I didn’t even think earthquake. In New York?

I just went about my business as if nothing had happened. After living near fault lines all my life, I was taking things for granted.

Considering the age of structures in New York, I should have been even more concerned about falling objects inside (shelves, stuff on walls) and outside buildings (signs, scaffolding), fire hazards from possible gas leaks, and then I should have looked for others on my floor and in the hotel lobby to confirm or aid or tell stories.

Of course, as a Californian who has lived through and covered quakes in the 4 to 6 magnitude range, I tried to calm down any traumatized New Yorker I encountered by taking full responsibility for bringing in the quake from the Bay Area.

I reassured them things would be all right, and then let them know that 4.8s are nothing.

And then I invited them to my consoling post-Earthquake performance of “Emil Amok, Lost NPR Host…”

It was the night of the eclipse.

ECLIPSING THE ECLIPSE

For example, did you know the first Filipinos actually arrived to what is now California in 1587? That’s 33 years before the Pilgrims arrived in America on the other coast, but few know the Filipino history which has been totally eclipsed.

I was in Battery Park sitting on a bench and there was a sense of community as people all came to look up. A young woman sitting next to me had a filter for a cell phone camera. We began talking and she let me use it. That filter enabled me to take a picture of the main event with my iPhone.

For helping me see, I invited her and her boyfriend to come see my show.

Coincidentally, she was from Plymouth, Massachusetts, near the rock that says the year the Pilgrims landed in 1620.

In my show she learned the truth. The Pilgrims were second.

History unblocked. But it took a solar eclipse.

Next one in 2044? We have a lot more unblocking to do.

If you’re in New York come see my show, Sat. April 13th, 5:20 pm Eastern; Fri. April 19, 8:10 pm Eastern; and Sun. April 21st 5:20 pm Eastern.

You can also livestream the show. Get tickets at www.amok.com/tickets

About the Author

Emil Guillermo is a journalist and commentator. He does a mini-talk show on YouTube.com/@emilamok1. He wishes all his readers a Happy Easter!