"The reason why we're taking it so slow now is once I get out there, I want to finish the rest of the season healthy," Nowitzki said. "I don't want to come back too soon now and then have setbacks again like I did with the Achilles a few years ago. Next thing you know I missed another few weeks."

Nowitzki said the significance of this debut hasn't made him any more anxious than the painstaking wait when all indications were the surgery wouldn't affect what could — and many presume will be — his final season.

"I've been antsy," he said. "Had the surgery in April and it's been nothing but rehab and treadmills. Love to step out there soon and get the kick of competing, the crowd involved. It's just something I miss. And once my career is over, that's for sure something I'll miss, the kick, the rush, the adrenaline."

Nowitzki said he wasn't ready to decide how the injury will influence a decision on a possible 22nd season.

Either way, Rawlings didn't want to wait past this season to honor the player who led the Mavericks to their only championship as the NBA Finals MVP in 2011 and is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history with 31,187 points, seventh on the all-time list.

Rawlings lauded Nowitzki for his willingness to be visible in public, mentioning that he was elected the same night Nowitzki was celebrating a birthday and they ended up at the same club.

"That was LIT!" Nowitzki interrupted, drawing laughs.

"A kid came here that was skinny and didn't really know much about life and only lived at home," Nowitzki said earlier. "Like I said earlier, grew into a man here. Off the court, try to help out, try to help this great city be better. Try to represent the city the right way."

Associated Press