Dirk Nowitzki accepted a major pay cut this offseason in order to help the Dallas Mavericks attract big-money talent, and the 7-foot power forward doesn’t want to let some people forget that.
Nowitzki signed a three-year, $25 million contract with the Mavs in July — a deal that sees him bringing in about $12 million less per year than with his previous four-year, $80 million contract. But since Dallas used that money to bring in free agent Chandler Parsons for three years, $45 million, Nowitzki told ESPN Dallas that he’s going to use that fact to his benefit.
“I told (Parsons) every dinner on the road this year is on him because it’s my money anyway,” Nowitzki said.
The German forward was kidding, of course, but it doesn’t seem as though Parsons, who idolized Nowitzki as a kid, would mind doing him that favor.
“He’s the ultimate teammate,” Parsons said, via ESPN Dallas. “I’m very humbled and glad that he did that because I wanted to be here and I wanted to play here, and I wanted to play with him. That just shows you how much he wants to win. He’ll take that big of a pay cut to try to bring a guy like me to try to help him win a championship.”
But until Parsons brings that championship to Dallas, it looks as though dinner is on him.
Photo via Matthew Emmons/USA TODAY Sports Images
