Dirk Nowitzki retires from the NBA

Germany's basketball star Dirk Nowitzki played his final home game in the NBA on Tuesday night, announcing in front of a sellout crowd the end of his illustrious career.

Nowitzki played a 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks — a record at a single team — and is set to end his career in San Antonio on Wednesday night, in the last game of the Mavericks' season.

Read more: Dirk Nowitzki: 'I gave it everything I had'

The 40-year-old German 14-time All-Star scored 30 points in his final home game, a 120-109 Dallas victory over the Phoenix Suns.

"As you guys might expect, this is my last home game," Nowitzki told the crowd, in a ceremony before the game, after speeches from Larry Bird and others he idolized growing up in Germany.

"This is obviously super, super emotional," Nowitzki said. "Just too many people to really thank. I put you guys on a helluva ride with a lot of ups and downs, and you guys always stuck with me and supported me, so I appreciate it," the basketball star said.

Germany's Foreign Ministry thanked Nowitzki on Twitter, calling him a "great sportsman and a unique ambassador for our country."

jcg/ng (AP, AFP)

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