Nowitzki, Wade added to rosters for NBA All-Star Game

NEW YORK, USA – Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki and Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade were named as special roster additions for the 68th NBA All-Star Game by league commissioner Adam Silver on Friday, February 1 (Saturday, February 2, Manila time).

The iconic veterans will give each club a 13th roster player when teams captained by LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo meet on February 17 at Charlotte, North Carolina.

“Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade embody the best of the NBA: remarkable skill, drive and professionalism as well as a deep devotion to strengthening their communities and growing the game around the world,” Silver said.

“As a global celebration of basketball, our All-Star Game is an ideal setting to salute these first-class NBA champions and Finals MVPs.”

Greek star Antetokounmpo and James, a four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, will pick from Germany’s Nowitzki, 40, and Chicago-born Wade, 37, after selecting the remainder of their rosters from other available players among starters and reserves. (READ: NBA All-Star 2019: Team LeBron vs Team Giannis)

James will have the first pick among the potential starters and between Wade and Nowitzki, so it’s likely his pal and former Miami and Cleveland teammate Wade, who announced before the season he would retire after this campaign, could partner with the superstar one more time in the All-Star matchup.

Nowitzki, a 13-time NBA All-Star, ranks 7th on the NBA all-time points list with 31,275 and ranks first among players from outside the United States. In 2007, he was the first European-born player to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award.

In 2011, Nowitzki was named the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player after leading Dallas to the league title by beating James and Wade’s Miami Heat in the final.

This season, Nowitzki became the first person to play 21 seasons with the same NBA club. His 1,491 games played rank 4th in league history and his 906 career regular-season wins rank 6th in NBA history.

Nowitzki has career averages of 21.0 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists a game for the Mavericks and ranks as the team’s all-time leader in points, rebounds and blocked shots.

Wade, the 2010 All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, won NBA titles with Miami in 2006, 2012 and 2013 and Olympic gold with the 2008 US team. He was also the 2006 NBA Finals MVP and 2008-09 scoring champion.

Wade has career averages of 22.2 points, 5.5 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.55 steals per game over 16 NBA seasons.

Only James, 1990s Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan and Wade have recorded at least 20,000 points, 5,000 assists, 4,000 rebounds, 1,500 steals, 800 blocked shots and 500 three-pointers. – Rappler.com