Tony Romo is about to satisfy his basketball jones.
The former Dallas Cowboys quarterback will spend Tuesday as a Dallas Mavericks player, according to Mavs head coach Rick Carlisle. Romo will participate in shootarounds, attend team meetings and even appear in the pregame layup line and team photo ahead of Dallas’ home finale against the Denver Nuggets. Mavs forward Dirk Nowitzki also will introduce Romo to the American Airlines Center crowd before, and the soon-to-be NFL broadcaster will receive a Mavericks jersey with his name and No. 9 on the back.
Carlisle on Monday told ESPN 103.3 FM in Dallas that Romo deserves such a sports crossover experience in the city he represented on the gridiron for 13 years.
“If you’re a guy who had an NFL career, it’d be pretty cool to have a picture on the wall of you as a member of an NBA basketball team, too,” Carlisle said. “I think that would be cool if a basketball player would have that opportunity with a football team. That’s kind of where this thing is at. I’m excited by it because Tony has become a friend of mine and you can hear the enthusiasm in his voice.
“He’s been so good and so great and played hurt and just been such a rock-solid example of what a Dallas athlete should be. We want to pay a respectful tribute to him and I know our fans are looking forward to
that as well.”
Romo is an avid basketball fan and has frequently attended Mavericks games over the years. He also was a high school basketball star at Burlington (Wis.) High School. But he won’t sign a contract and won’t play a minute for the 32-48 Mavs.
“It’s just not a good idea to take a football athlete and throw him in an NBA game,” Carlisle said. “It’s a completely different kind of sport. No. 2, to sign him we would have to go through a tremendous amount of screening, physicals, all those things. It’s not in the best interest of anybody to do that.”
No kidding.
Thumbnail photo via Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports Images
