Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki will never forget Oracle Arena, for both good and bad reasons. For one, it’s the place where he scored his very first field goal in the NBA, back when he was still a 20-year-old rookie who was still getting his feet wet in the ways of NBA basketball and American culture.
Oracle Arena also served as Nowitzki’s personal house of horrors — a place where his frustration once boiled over so intensely that he hurled a trash can against the arena wall, leaving a gaping hole behind.
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Dressed for success
Nowitzki and the Mavericks had already established themselves as the best in the West during the 2005-06 season when they made it all the way to the NBA Finals and held a 2-0 lead over the Miami Heat. Unfortunately, they didn’t finish the job and got buried by a wave of baskets and free throws from Dwyane Wade and the Heat.
But instead of hanging their heads, they returned the following season stronger than ever, winning 67 games. Dirk was named the league’s MVP and fans and pundits quickly labeled the Mavs as the odds-on favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy.
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“That next year, you know, we’re rolling,” Dirk recalled. “I think we beat the Spurs three out of four (in the regular season). We were feeling like it was our year. We were set up great.”
Unfortunately for the Mavs, their first-round opponent was the Golden State Warriors, a team coached by the very same person who helped create the monster that they eventually became: Don Nelson.
“We ran into huge matchup problems. Nellie knew exactly how to play us back then because he coached our team. And, you know, the Warriors were hot. They had little guys, played fast, fired up at the time,” Dirk explained. “Man, it was just a bad matchup.”
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Crazy atmosphere
Bad didn’t begin to describe how tough things got for Dirk. With feisty forward Stephen Jackson shadowing him and a wave of defenders coming over to stifle his every move, the German was limited to 19.7 points on 38 percent shooting. Despite his subpar numbers, the Mavs still had one more chance at evening the series up after winning Game 5, 118-112. However, they had to do it at Oracle in Game 6.
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But with the fans sensing something special was about to happen, they came in droves, arriving long before the game’s tip-off. They even took time to heckle the Mavs as they made their way to the arena.
“It doesn’t happen much in basketball. Happens more in football, when the fans cookout before. But that was the case when we drove up to the arena two-and-a-half hours, three hours before tip,” Dirk said. “Fans were out there flipping us off, mooning us on our way in. It was crazy. As a competitor, fun to play, but it kind of pushed them to another level. The fans were a big part of that.”
While neither Nowitzki nor the Mavs would ever admit they were rattled, they didn’t have to, as their play spoke volumes. Dirk missed all but two of his 13 attempts and finished with just eight points. The Mavs eventually got run out of Oracle and lost by 25 points, 111-86.
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Usually composed, Nowitzki was overwhelmed with emotion as he reflected on a season that began with such promise, only to end in disappointment and collapse.
“Some people say it was a trash can, some people say it was a chair,” he remarked. “It was such a heat of the moment. I have no idea what it even was. I don’t remember it much.”
“Obviously, I remember I was pissed. I had a brutal game that night. We had a chance to force a Game 7, had home court and I couldn’t make anything in that game. Just disappointed. Heat of the moment,” he added.
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It took Nowitzki a while to get over that loss at Oracle. He eventually did, especially after the Mavericks won it all in 2011.
Today, he can look back at that moment fondly, remembering how the lessons from that night imbued him with the determination and resilience that would bring the Mavs to the promised land.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 24, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.