What’s next for two of the greats

Last week, the NBA said goodbye to two of its all-time greats. NBA legends Dirk Nowitzki and Dwyane Wade played their final NBA games. Both are considered the greatest of all time for their respective franchises. Wade has been in the league since 2003 and Nowitzki since 1998. The NBA won’t look the same without them, but it’s not like they’re going anywhere. So where are they’re going?

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki, who is sometimes referred to as “The Dunking Deutschman,” was drafted out of Germany in 1998 by the Milwaukee Bucks before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. It was there that he spent the next 21 seasons.

By the end of it all, he accumulated a slew of achievements. His 21 seasons are the most ever played for one franchise by a single player. He finished third all time in minutes and games played and sixth all time in points scored.

He’s been selected to 14 NBA All-Star games and has also been awarded the MVP (2007) and NBA Finals MVP (2011) awards. He’s widely regarded as the greatest European player to ever play in the NBA.

Now that he’s retired, Dirk has decided it’s time to relax. In a postgame interview, he stated that he wants to travel and enjoy his family for a couple years before he begins his next chapter.

After that, I think he’ll return to the Mavericks and begin coaching. The Mavericks held a postgame ceremony last week for Dirk’s final home game. During the ceremony, he told the crowd that he is going to stay in Dallas with his family and that Dallas is his new home.

In an interview with a German newspaper, he said he could see himself coaching or managing in the NBA after a year or two. Based on that, I think becoming a shooting coach with the Mavericks in the next couple years is a realistic possibility. He might work his way up the ladder to an assistant coaching job or even head coach one day.

Dwyane Wade

Dwyane “Flash” Wade was drafted fifth overall in the legendary 2003 NBA Draft. Ahead of him were players like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Chris Bosh.

He played most of his 16 NBA seasons in Miami, although he had a couple of short stints with the Chicago Bulls and Cleveland Cavaliers. Like Dirk, Wade established himself as one of the greatest to ever play the game.

He was voted an All-Star 13 times, won an NBA Finals MVP and won the NBA Finals three times. Wade retired with career averages of 22 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.4 assists.

Wade’s future is much more up in the air than Nowitzki’s. Little is known about his future plans, except that he plans on spending more time with his family. He has a wife and three kids, aged between newborn and 17.

It’s possible he stays in Miami until they’re grown up, but I don’t think Wade sees NBA coaching in his future. If he has a future in basketball at all, I think it will be as a broadcaster or high school basketball coach.

It is also possible that he ends up more like Kobe Bryant after retirement. He might show up every so often, but he’s more or less out of the basketball industry.