Dirk Nowitzki was stunned by ‘sad’ breakup of Dallas Mavericks pairing with Steve Nash

The Mavericks had untapped potential with the duo

By 2007, Nowitzki and Nash were both MVPs. The hypothetical scenario of Nowitzki and Nash staying together haunted fans. If the Mavericks had kept them together, they could have won a championship earlier than 2011.

Of course, Nash would get to flex his high-level playmaking with the Suns. He was the cornerstone of their fast-paced offense, which led to him winning two MVP awards. He was the first Canadian to win the MVP before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander followed in 2025. Unfortunately, he might not have become that player if he had stayed with the Mavericks.

Despite that, Nowitzki himself was unhappy with Nash’s exit. He felt they could have achieved more, which is a valid feeling. Nash became the best point guard in the league, and Nowitzki was an MVP power forward. If they had stayed together, they could have had a supercharged offense capable of beating any team.

“That’s why it’s so sad. Thought we were going to finish together like Stockton and Malone. I never thought we’d break up,” Nowitzki said to Sports Illustrated back in 2004.

“I told (The Suns) that I really wanted to stay (in Dallas) and finish what we started. Starting from scratch, unfamiliar with everything, trying to get a whole new career going again, it’s been difficult,” Nash said when reflecting on the exit.

Nowitzki still ended up being a winner

A couple of years after Nash left for Phoenix, the Mavericks reached the Finals in 2006. Nowitzki even led the team to take a 2-0 lead over the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, Dallas would drop four straight games to Dwyane Wade and the Heat en route to an NBA Finals defeat.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks clawed their way back to the postseason. They redeemed themselves in 2011 in arguably the greatest Finals run in NBA history. That was when they beat the Heat to win the franchise’s first and only championship to this day.

It is one of the most legendary runs ever, as Nowitzki silenced his doubters. He talked trash to the Heat en route to beating them, which is a massive achievement. That was the era when the Heat were unstoppable, but the Mavericks found a way through Nowitzki.

It was a well-earned achievement, but it could have come earlier if Nash had stayed. Nevertheless, Nowitzki can hold his head high as a champion. Nash ultimately never won a championship as a player. However, he was an assistant coach for the Golden State Warriors in the 2010s.

The Nowitzki and Nash partnership was fun, but they were not the winning duo they could have been.