After losing a playoff game, all you wanna do is head back to the locker room, take a shower and pack it up. Dirk Nowitzki was limping towards that goal, but still had time to show some appreciation to a couple of young fans.
Following the disappointing loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder which dropped the Dallas Mavericks to 1-3 behind in the playoff series, Nowitzki and his teammates were making their way, all looking quite grim, to the locker rooms. A few fans were calling out his name, probably looking for some kind of recognition from the all-everything for Dallas since before they were born.
Nowitzki looks beaten. Tired. Angry. Not friendly, in short. He’s limping. He’s obviously hurting, inside and outside. And just before he disappears into another tunnel, he reaches out and gives the kids a couple of high fives that mean the world to them, and were just a second of fan appreciation for him.
Hey, when you’re 7-foot tall, making that kind of gesture really is nothing, but fans love Nowitzki not just for bringing the Mavericks a championship and for carrying this team on his hurting knees and shoulders for about 16 years. They love him because he cares, and even in a low moment such as this, is willing to notice them and not treat them like air.