Kobe Bryant Recalled the Time He Recruited Dirk Nowitzki in Free Agency

Who says Kobe Bryant isn’t a willing free-agent recruiter, or a phenomenal potential teammate?

Dwight Howard? Maybe. But most definitely not Dirk Nowitzki.

Speaking with reporters during media availability over All-Star Weekend, Kobe recalled the time that he, halfheartedly, tried getting Dirk to leave the Dallas Mavericks for the Los Angeles Lakers. YouTube user D-Mavs has video of Bean’s anecdote, but here’s Tim Cato of Mavs Moneyball with the transcription:

"“Dirk and I have always had a great relationship, just because we’re both extremely competitive and also both extremely loyal to our teams. I’ll tell you a story about Dirk, he was up for free agency, and I knew what his response was going to be, but just out of respect, I said, ‘Dude, everybody’s looking around at all these free agents. I thought I’d just shoot you a text (to see) if you wanna come to LA.’ He said, ‘Dude, I would love to play with you, but Dallas is my home, this is my team, I’m not leaving here.’ He and I think a lot alike in those regards.”"

This merely reinforces what we already knew: Dirk is the Mavericks’ O.G., and his loyalty to the organization, to eccentric owner Mark Cuban, knows no peer.

Still, it’d be nice to know when this happened. Is this story from 2014, the last time Dirk explored free agency? Since Kobe apparently knew how to text in this story, I’m assuming yes. And if so, the Mavericks had already won their 2011 title by that point, and the Lakers were in the early stages of their slow, painful plunge toward the NBA’s basement. Rebuffing Kobe’s overtures wouldn’t have been that difficult.

Now, if Kobe is referring to some time before 2011, when the Lakers were still the standard for dynastic performances and the Mavericks had yet to give Dirk a ring, this becomes an entirely different story. Dirk’s willpower, in this scenario, can only go down as the stuff of legend.

Either way, kudos to Dallas’ franchise cornerstone for his unwavering allegiance. Even if Kobe is referencing 2014 free agency, and even if turning him down was a no-brainer, Dirk still passed on max offers from both the Houston Rockets and Lakers that summer, only to re-sign with the Mavericks for just over $8 million per year.

I’d say he’s officially guaranteed himself a to-scale statue outside American Airlines Center.