Dirk Nowitzki was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1998 NBA draft, the first pick of that year's draft.
 Nowitzki led the Mavericks back to the playoffs where they faced their in-state rival San Antonio Spurs in the first round
 Nowitzki was touted as the overwhelming favorite for the Most Valuable Player award and was expected to lead the Mavericks to an easy win against the eighth-seed Golden State Warriors, despite the Warriors having won all three regular-season meetings against Dallas

