NBA Grapevine

Some athletes, through no fault of their body’s own and often because something lands the wrong way or some opponent falls onto the wrong thing, have to undergo surgery early in their careers. In their teens, even, during their amateur hour.
Some, by way of the typical wear and tear that a pro athlete’s career demands, usually end up having to undergo at the very least an exploratory procedure, or one focused on the cleanup of debris or smaller parts that need to mend.
Some, like Dirk Nowitzki, are incredibly lucky. He gave up his amateur turn all the way back in May of 1998, and save for a sprained knee in 2003 that didn’t require an operation, Dirk has been fortunate to stay away from the surgeon’s knife for his entire career. For 43,595 combined regular and postseason minutes Dirk has continually worked as a go-to workhorse for a Dallas Mavericks team that has consistently been part of the championship picture for most of that just-about dynastic run. And, because these things tend to take a toll, Dirk had to undergo arthroscopic knee surgery earlier this autumn .
And, because he’s a competitor and usually three times better than anyone he plays basketball with, Nowitzki sort of expected his knee to heal in three times the typical rate. Things haven’t quite turned out that way, though. From the Dallas Morning News , quoting Dirk’s interview on Fox Sports Southwest during Monday night’s Dallas loss to Minnesota :
“Gotta admit, I’m already getting tired of rehab,” Nowitzki said on Fox Sports Southwest’s telecast, during the second quarter of tonight’s game against Minnesota. “It’s been three weeks. Obviously, that’s a lot of time for me watching.

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