I believe blue, of course.
I mean, I've been I've been
with the map since, what, 98?
They're close to my heart.
So we created this tennis Venus.
First of all, I'm I'm a big tennis fan
and that tennis was my first sport.
And as, as with the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation,
we wanted to put on our own event
with something that we love.
And, you know, everybody does, you know,
there's golf events and all sorts of stuff.
That's that's just not me.
I'm not a big golfer.
So I wanted to put something
on that that I love doing.
And so this is the fifth time we came
up with this tennis celebrity classic.
And unfortunately, of course,
we couldn't do it.
The last couple of years
because of the pandemic,
but we're we're back for the 5th year
and really looking forward to it.
It's going to be a fun
weekend on Sunday at the SMU.
Some great celebrities are coming
in to to support and we have
our our sponsors that obviously
give us plenty of support.
So we're looking forward to to having a fun,
fun day out in out in the heat
of course. And so I know the dirt Novitsky
Foundation is obviously a part of that.
Tell me about that foundation and
what it, you know what it supports.
So I found it the foundation 2001.
So we just last year had our twenty
anniversary, which is has been an.
Amazing ride off the court as well for me,
you know, being part of this community we,
we give out grants every year
to to children's and women's
charities and foundations in the
Metroplex here in North Texas.
And we found so many great organizations
that do so much great work and we
basically just help them and with
funding and so they can do good
work and and obviously change,
change a lot of lives here and
locally in North Texas, so.
We've been doing that for,
like I said,
over 20 years and we're excited to
to be back with our tennis event
and hopefully we're able to give
out a lot of funds again this year.
Yeah, you know, and I saw, you know,
one of the guys playing Lucas in
the tournament and I'm sure plenty
of people in Dallas want to know.
Give us a little sneak peek.
Is he going to be out there?
You know where his tennis
skills like, so Lucas
played a few years ago and we
were able to do it and we just,
we love having them.
Of course he's the star here.
People love him and I wouldn't
say he's the best tennis player.
He's a big tennis fan.
His skills are are just OK,
but I always tell them.
You should just stick to basketball,
but we're we're so happy and
grateful that he comes and supports.
I know he was just obviously in
the EuroBasket and in Europe and
and for him to come in and support
that weekend for us means a lot.
And yeah,
we definitely appreciate him playing.
You know, I'd love to ask you,
you know, a tennis question since
we're talking about tennis.
You know, a guy who just recently
retired after you, Roger Federer,
y'all played, you know,
came in around the same time and
two legends in your own right.
Just what are your thoughts on
what Federer meant to tennis and
getting to watch him as you played?
Yeah. You know, I've, I've been fortunate.
I'm met Roger a few times.
One time in the Olympics and O 8 and couple
other handful of times in Wimbledon.
So of course, I'm a huge,
huge fan just talking to him,
picking his brain.
What he did off the court as
well as on the court to me,
is one of the ghosts of the sports,
of course, and you know,
to to lose Serena and and Roger within
just within just a couple weeks is.
It was very sad and emotional for me
as a tennis fan as was followed the
sport for the last whatever, 40 years.
So they'll definitely leave
a huge hole to fill.
But both the tremendous personalities,
tremendous athletes and they did
so much good also off the court.
So just just big fan over here.
You mentioned EuroBasket?
Well, you know, I know you're
probably talking about it.
You've talked about a lot,
but getting your
international jersey retired,
give me a little bit of insight
about what that was like.
I mean, it was it was super cool.
It was emotional.
I had friends from growing up there,
had my family, my kids were there.
My my parents were able to witness it again.
So. It's it's been so many
unforgettable moments.
Honestly this this last
three years in retirement,
starting with you know with the street
naming here and then the Jersey
retirement and all sorts of other awards.
And it's it's just been an incredible
journey here in the last three years.
And I've just been soaking it all
in and trying to stay in the moment
and and and really just enjoying it
and I'm so proud that my family is
there to to to witness all this.
And so it was super cool.
I saw some teammates.
The unseen in in years,
probably over 10 years that played
with me in the early 2000s and in
some of our success stories there so.
I mean, it was it was a great,
great day for me and a great
night that I'll never forget.
Yeah, absolutely.
Now, I got to ask you a maths question.
Obviously, last year finally broke
through the first round for the
first time since you guys did,
winning the championship in 11.
What do you kind of expect
for this season, you know,
building off that success from last year?
Well, you always, you know,
you always think further.
You want to get better in the offseason,
you want to take the next step.
You know, if you're, if you're this
far and you're in the top four,
it's it's sometimes hard to
take that next step, you know?
So we'll just have to wait
and see how this season goes.
I think we have the great
core in place with Luca.
We can build around.
I think of course we have the coaches and.
Everything in place that they
showed that last year and.
You know, we'll just have to wait
and see how this season goes.
I think you know Lucy and Brunson is,
is is of course a tough.
He was a very big part of what
we're doing the last few years.
But you know,
hopefully by by adding Timmy Order
way back in the mix and some other
guys we can we can make up for it.
But.
You know sometimes you it takes a
while to build something and you
know the last year was a fun year
and let's see if we can build on
that and you know have have the
right pieces in place to to repeat
that and and see what happens.
You know, not just your connection to Dallas
but staying connected to the Mavs and,
you know, we see at the games and,
you know, still being enjoying your
retirement but also still being connected
to this city and the organization.
Why did you feel motivated to to
do that and it is still kind of
be connected even in retirement.
Well, you know, I,
I believe blue, of course.
I mean, I've been,
I've been with the math since, what, 98?
They're close to my heart.
And I always thought, you know,
after I enjoy retirement a bit
that I will want to be involved.
And I want to help.
And so I think the last three years
I haven't been around as much
as as as as I wanted to because
I I still enjoy the traveling,
enjoy the kids, but.
Hopefully here in the near future
I I have more time to to really get
into it and and help out even more.
You know the the playoff run was
probably the most I've been around.
I almost saw every game and it
was such a blast to see these
guys working so hard and and
breakthrough in the top four.
I mean that was that was incredible
journey and so hopefully here in
the near future I'll be around a lot
more and and and and really try to
to help the organization out even more.
Yeah. Well last question for you.
Do you have any?
Because I I love when you talk
about Lucas stories is there any
any conversation you had recently
something funny he said give me some
type of tidbit with Luca people enjoy.
So funny I think in the media sometimes
he's just like me 20 years ago when
when you're when you're not sure and
and English is not your first language.
I think you always look shy
that with the cameras on.
I don't want to say anything wrong.
And I was just the same way,
but once the camera is off, this kid is,
is hilarious and he, you know,
he busts everybody and he's a jokester and
he loves to have fun with his teammates,
with his people around him
that he's comfortable.
And so I think with me he's
he feels fairly comfortable.
So he says whatever, and we have,
we usually enjoy each other's company.
I didn't see him that much this
summer even because he obviously
played and I was there just.
As an ambassador for the euro,
so I didn't really get to see him much,
but we'll spend some time here,
hopefully before before the
season starts and you know,
he knows that anything he ever needs,
I'm.
I'm more than happy to to help him
out if it's on or off the court.
He knows that I'm always in his corner.
He's such a great kid.
He's got a huge heart and he wants
to do well and so if,
if there's anything I can ever do for him,
I'm I'm happy to do so.