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Jordan plays his new favorite trivia game, asking which current players could be nearly as successful in his era. "Our era," he says over and over again, calling modern players soft, coddled and ill-prepared for the highest level of the game. This is personal to him, since he'll be compared to this generation, and since he has to build a franchise with this generation's players. "I'll give you a hint," he says. "I can only come up with four." He lists them: LeBron, Kobe, Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki. As he's making his point, Yvette walks into the living room area and, in a tone of voice familiar to every husband who argues sports with his buddies, asks, "You guys need anything?" ESPN.com

LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan 

So as a shot artist, what other shots do you admire around the league? I’m not talking about something as general as Ray Allen’s jumper. I’m talking specific shots. Dirk Nowitzki: I'm such a dork, still. This is my 15th year and I still sit, when my wife's asleep, I sit there and watch League Pass. I do it from sometimes 9 p.m. till 12:30 a.m., until the West Coast games are over. I was always a huge fan of Kobe. Obviously, he's now on the declining end, like most of us older guys, but the stuff he does … They are never out of a game. When I get home, at like 11 p.m., I know the fourth quarter will just be starting in L.A., and I'll sit down and watch him basically will his team to win with some incredible shots. Grantland

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki 

Kobe’s footwork in the post is obviously legendary. Oh yeah. The athleticism, the balance in the air, the lefty shots. He made a 3 on us one year in the corner. The shot clock was winding down, and he had to spin around and just shoot it lefty. To me, he's the no. 1 player over the 15 years I've been in this league. Grantland

Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki 

People write all the time about how your emergence as a jump-shooting big man — and your team’s success — literally changed the NBA. Do you ever think about your career in terms like that? I don't really think that way. Honestly, when I first got in the league, it was a lot of back-to-the-basket pounding. Charles [Barkley] would back the ball in for 15 seconds. Over the years, the game has changed, with me spreading the floor, and now almost every team has to have a spread [power forward]. Almost no one plays with two bigs anymore. And obviously they changed the rules — they put in the five-second back-down rule, and you can play zone. The game changed. There's more movement and teams playing together instead of just one-on-one pounding. There is still some of that, but the game has become European again. More five guys, more movement. Grantland

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

But you get Mark’s thought process on letting Tyson Chandler go and sort of breaking up the team, right? Yeah, honestly, I understand the business side of it, and if you look at the new [collective bargaining agreement], the luxury tax is brutal. If you look at teams now trying to find the mix of right players, they are trying to find a couple of stars, and the rest might be minimum [salary] guys. Grantland

Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban, Tyson Chandler 

Rumor has it the team calls you the Big Mummy now. Because you’re so stiff, I guess. Who came up with that, if it’s true? Dirk Nowitzki: [Laughs] … I don't know, I think it was [Mavs assistant] Darrell Armstrong. He's one of the craziest guys ever in this league. But, honestly, that's not only this year. In the mornings, even the year we won it all, if you watch me in shootaround, I just look so stiff. First of all, I'm not a morning guy, so I run all stiff-legged in shootaround. But "Mummy" is a really good one. Grantland

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Darrell Armstrong 

Deron and I have actually known each other for a little bit. We met at an All-Star Game a couple of years ago. I was out partying one night, and here he comes into the club with a whole crew of guys. It was a Nike party in L.A. two years ago, and so he comes with his crew, and there's no room in the entire thing. We had a little room, and so his whole crew starts talking to us and shoves their way into our table. We had an awesome night that night. We had a blast. Kanye West was onstage — Kanyeezy! Was that the same party where your old friend Steve Nash got a lap dance from Nicki Minaj? [Laughs] Nah, that was at a different party. So I've had Deron's number since then, and we were texting sometimes. And he knew I wanted him to come here. We talked when it was all in the process. I didn't fly up on July 1. I wanted him to come. Cubes had to film freaking Shark Tank. I just watched that for the first time the other night. I still didn't. I still refuse to watch it. It was actually not bad. I haven't seen one episode and I probably won't ever see one. Grantland

Dallas Mavericks, Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj 

What’s the best way to raise shackles in the German sports world? Easy: Publicly proclaim anything that projects Dirk Nowitzki in anything but glowing colors. Over at heinnews today is a report that FC Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness has done just that. In a line made for today’s instant media, FC Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness proclaimed that his side would be unlikely to ever sign Nowitzki after his NBA career because “We are … not a nursing home for basketball players.” Ball In Europe

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Germany, FC Bayern Munich 

Rick Carlisle on if he’s worried about Dirk Nowitzki’s long-term health: “What I’ve been saying recently is we need to get to the all-star break and then when we come out of the all-star break, we’ll see where everything is at with him. The Portland game was very encouraging then he had this setback. It’s scary because it happened and he’s never had a pulled muscle, which tells you something about the preparation that he does in general, the stretching, the yoga, the pilates, everything that he does. In terms of where he’s at, we need to use him the right way. We have to keep him going in five or six minute stretches whenever possible and keep him going in and out fresh. We have to match the right people with him. It’s premature to get into hey he’s this or that or too injured. I don’t see it that way.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Injuries, Rick Carlisle 

One thing that comes up whenever the prospect of the Boston Celtics making a move with Kevin Garnett is the fact that he has a no-trade clause, and, thus, can’t be dealt. That’s only partially true. No-trade clauses are rare in the NBA, because they can be given only to a player with eight years in the league, four with his current team. Only four players—Garnett, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki—have them. But any of those four could be traded as long as he gives his consent. There’s no telling whether any of those four would actually agree to a trade (presumably, at least Duncan and Bryant never would), but, of course, teams can’t know that unless they inquire. Sporting News

Boston Celtics, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Trade, Kobe Bryant, Dirk Nowitzki, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett 

Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki will miss his second consecutive game because of a strained right adductor Friday night against the Phoenix Suns. Nowitzki strained the muscle in his upper leg late in Tuesday's loss to the Portland Trail Blazers, when he scored 12 of his season-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. He does not believe this injury is related to the arthroscopic surgery on his right knee that caused the 11-time All-Star to miss the first 27 games of the season. "It's just Father Time, bro," Nowitzki told reporters after sitting out Thursday's loss to the Golden State Warriors. "Stuff happens. I never pulled a muscle in my whole career. There's always a first one." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Injuries 

Mike Tokito: Dirk Nowitzki: "We can't let Aldridge basically walk us in to 10 feet & just let him turn around and shoot with 1 second to go." Twitter @mtokito

Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Dirk Nowitzki, LaMarcus Aldridge 

Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge capped a 21-point comeback with a game-winning turnaround jumper at the buzzer to defeat the Mavericks 106-104 in Portland on Tuesday night. Aldridge scored five points in the final five seconds, including his first three of the season, to deliver the home victory. The Blazers set up their final possession on a sideline inbounds play with 1.5 seconds remaining in regulation and the score tied at 104. Aldridge received the inbounds pass just outside the left block, turning towards the baseline to fire the turnaround calmly over the outstretched arm of Brandan Wright. The shot dropped through as the buzzer sounded. “This is what you live for,” Aldridge said of his game-winner. “That one felt great. That one felt real easy.” SI.com

Dallas Mavericks, Portland Trail Blazers, Dirk Nowitzki, LaMarcus Aldridge 

The Mavericks will be without an All-Star representative next month in Houston, but owner Mark Cuban is certain that Nowitzki missing the showcase event for the first time since 2001 will be a one-time thing. “I don’t have any doubt,” Cuban said when asked if Nowitzki would be an All-Star again. “There’s no doubt in my mind at all.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Mark Cuban, All Star Game 

Dirk Nowitzki didn’t score more than 20 points in a game during his first month of action this season, but he believes he’s on the path back to his norm. “Basically with me not having training camp, training camp’s almost over,” said Nowitzki, whose right knee started swelling at the beginning of camp, leading him to undergo arthroscopic surgery Oct. 19. “Four weeks and hopefully I can get back in a rhythm a little better.” Recent history suggests Nowitzki is right to think he’ll return to being an All-Star-caliber player soon. ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, Training Camp 

Dirk Nowitzki knows he’s getting old. Sometimes, he gets reminded in unusual ways. A reporter from the Orlando area came up to him after the Mavericks’ win over the Magic and told him that promising Magic center Nikola Vucevic grew up idolizing Nowitzki. “I guess I’m old is what that means,” Nowitzki said. “That means I’ve been around a long time. But he’s a fun young player. I’m happy for him and if he keeps working, he’s going to be a great player in this game.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Dirk Nowitzki, Nikola Vucevic 

Orlando Magic center Nik Vucevic, a Montenegro native, is one of Nowitzki’s disciples. “He actually was my favorite player growing up for a while,” Vucevic said after the Magic finished their shootaround at Amway Center. “I really enjoyed watching him. The way he plays, I think he’s the only one that plays that way. I think it’s impossible to stop him. [When] he gets it going, you can’t really stop him because of the way he plays. I look up to him a lot.” Orlando Sentinel

Dallas Mavericks, Orlando Magic, Dirk Nowitzki, Nikola Vucevic 

So All-Star Weekend, Feb. 15-17, will afford him the chance to take a vacation. The Mavericks have a full week between games, although only four days have to be given off to players, as per league guidelines. “Even the first couple years where I wasn’t an All-Star, I had to go shoot 3-pointers in San Francisco and Washington before I was an All-Star for the first time in Philly,” Nowitzki said. “So basically I went ever since I came in the league. “That’s obviously a disappointing streak to end. I had fun representing the Mavs all these years, but it’s a tough year for me with injuries. I guess those four days I’m going to enjoy and get a good amount of work in as well. And be recharged for the second half of the season.” Dallas Morning News

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki 

However, the Dallas Mavericks' forward participated in the three-point shootout in 2000 and '01 during All-Star Weekend, and has been in the All-Star game from 2002-'12. But that streak will come to an abrupt end when All-Star Weekend is held in Houston from Feb. 15-17. That's because the arthroscopic right knee surgery Nowitzki underwent on Oct. 19 forced him to miss the season's first 27 games and prevented him from gaining any traction towards continuing his All-Star Weekend streak. But that's OK with Nowitzki, who won the three-point shootout in 2006 in Houston, and also participated in this event in 2008. Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, All Star Game 

"Yeah, that's obviously a disappointing streak to end, but it is what it is,'' Nowitzki said after this morning's practice at American Airlines Center. "I had fun representing the Mavs all these years, but it's a tough year for me with injuries. "So I guess those four days (off) I'm going to enjoy and get a good amount of work in as well and be recharged for the second half of the season.'' Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki, All Star Game