Nowitzki announces retirement during postgame ceremony

Dirk Nowitzki officially announced he's retiring from the NBA on Tuesday night after the Dallas Mavericks' win over the Phoenix Suns.

"As you guys might expect, this is my last home game," Nowitzki told the crowd at American Airlines Center during a postgame ceremony to honor him. "I'm trying my yoga breathing, but it's not really working that well."

While most expected the 40-year-old to retire after his 21st NBA season, he hadn't closed the door publicly on playing next year before Tuesday. The 7-footer struggled at times during the 2018-19 campaign, but Nowitzki went off for a season-high 30 points in the Mavs' 120-109 victory over Phoenix.

"It kind of happened in the last few days," said Nowitzki of his decision to retire, adding that issues with his foot played a role, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, Larry Bird, Shawn Kemp, and Detlef Schrempf - all players who inspired Nowitzki - attended the on-court ceremony.

The announcement came on the same night that Nowitzki's contemporary Dwyane Wade played his final home game in Miami. Wade also scored 30 points.

The final contest of Nowitzki's NBA career is slated for Wednesday in San Antonio.