There was a time when the Dallas Mavericks knew how to appreciate and show loyalty to their European star. After drafting Dirk Nowitzki in the 1998 draft, the organization stuck with the then-wunderkind despite enduring two seasons missing the playoffs.
Before picking up the German legend, the Mavs also failed to advance to the playoffs for eight consecutive years. The team’s former assistant coach-turned-general manager, Donnie Nelson, likened the futile stretch to one of the most infamous events of World War II.
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“We were like eight years in the Bataan Death March, the Maverick walk in the desert, where we hadn’t made the playoffs,” Nelson said of Dallas’ woes.
Nelson’s hyperbolic comparison
Some might have found it distasteful for the former Mavs executive to make such a juxtaposition, as the Bataan Death March was one of the most atrocious war crimes the Imperial Japanese Army had committed.
During WWII, the Commonwealth of the Philippines, which was still under US occupation, was invaded by the Empire of Japan. One of the deadliest battles of the conquest happened in Bataan, a province 80 miles away from the capital, Manila. The combined American and Philippine forces, which numbered around 120,000, were defeated by the 75,000-strong Japanese troops after a three-month skirmish.
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Around 72,000 to 80,000 prisoners of war were then forced by the invaders to march for nearly 65 miles to a train station, which would transfer them to Manila, while being subject to physical abuse, merciless killings, and harsh conditions.
Perhaps it may have been too much for Nelson to use it as a comparison. However, the statement should give us a glimpse of what the Mavs had to endure for several seasons before finally getting a taste of success.
For eight years, they never placed higher than 10th in the Western Conference, even if, at some point, the team had the likes of Jason Kidd, Jim Jackson, Jamal Mashburn, and Michael Finley suiting up for the club.
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Nowitzki, the hero
Dirk’s arrival ushered in a new era for the playoff-starved squad. Of course, the former European hoops standout had to endure some struggles during his first two years in the Association. It didn’t help that the lockout delayed his rookie campaign, including a full offseason.
By his sophomore season, though, Nowitzki found his bearings, showing significant improvement in terms of production and poise on an NBA court. Dirk would have won the 2000 Most Improved Player award if it weren’t for Jalen Rose edging him out by seven votes.
In the 2000-01 campaign, Dallas was finally able to look past its own version of a death march, advancing to the postseason and securing the No. 5 seed. Nowitzki earned an All-NBA selection (third team), a feat he would continue to achieve every campaign until 2012. More importantly for the franchise, it went to 12 consecutive playoffs, which included two Finals appearances.
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The Mavs failed to reach that stage again until last season when another European phenom, with the help of a resurgent Kyrie Irving and overachieving role players, steered the team to the Finals.
Unfortunately for the fans, another death march may be looming for Dallas. A few months ago, its front office inexplicably parted ways with Luka Doncic to bring in an aging and injury-prone superstar in Anthony Davis, a move that frustrated many of the Mavs’ supporters, including the retired Nowitzki.