DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki said Wednesday that his first season as a studio analyst for Amazon Prime Video’s NBA coverage was hard at the beginning. Seven years out of the league had left him catching up on new players, front offices, coaches, and styles.
Nowitzki made the comments on Shan & RJ on 105.3 The Fan, a month before his second season on the show begins. He retired in 2019 after 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks. For the first couple of weeks, he watched every team the show had on and went back over games the next day.
“It was hard at the beginning,” Nowitzki said. “I’ve been out, obviously, seven years out of the league, and so at the beginning it was just trying to catch up. The players have turned over, and the front office, the coaching, and the style is all different. And so I played catch-up there for the first couple weeks, and I wanted to know all the teams that we had on.”
“So I was watching a lot of hoops and going back the next day, and I’m trying to analyze. So I was freaking myself out a little bit there in the first couple weeks,” Nowitzki continued. “And then once the season got along a little bit more, I think I relaxed a little bit. I knew what teams were trying to do and with coaches and the style of play. And so I relaxed a little bit and was able to enjoy a little bit more in the new year and then going into the playoffs.”
“But it was a piece of work,” Nowitzki added. “I learned a lot, how even a show comes together, what works for TV, what doesn’t. And I got to say, the crew was wonderful. Obviously, Taylor being a rock, she kind of puts it all together. And the guys have been great. Our bosses have been great. So I learned a lot and really enjoyed it there in the playoffs and when the games meant more. That was a really cool time. Looking forward to year two.”
Taylor Rooks hosts the studio show. Nowitzki works on it alongside Steve Nash, Blake Griffin, and Udonis Haslem. Last week, Nowitzki told Brian Dameris of D Magazine that the crew had to scrap its plans for the first show the day before it aired because of the NBA gambling investigation.
Dirk Nowitzki On Presenting The Game Differently
Amazon built the crew a studio with an LED court. Nowitzki said the network wanted the analysts’ input from the start.
“It’s great to be part of something new because they wanted our inputs,” Nowitzki explained. “They were kind of trying to pick our brains and see what we are willing to do. And, honestly, nobody can be TNT guys, or now they’re obviously in ESPN, but nobody’s Charles and Shaq. They get away with saying stuff that we can’t say. So we had a little different approach.”
“Obviously, they built us this beautiful studio there, so we wanted to use the court as much as we can with the LED court,” Nowitzki continued. “You can really walk through stuff and show some technical stuff. Obviously, not too deep, but deep enough for some fans to learn some stuff. So I think that was a great approach. We didn’t want to get too deep, but we do want to explain the game.”
“We want to celebrate the game where it is and not sit there and be miserable and say it was better in the old days,” Nowitzki added. “We want to celebrate how the game’s played these days, and a lot has changed, and we want to teach the game in a fun way and still have fun in the postgame show. So it’s been a fun learning curve.”
Inside the NBA moved from TNT to ESPN for the 2025-26 season. On Amazon’s set, Nowitzki tries not to watch a play and say what he would have done instead.
“You just try to see the game in a different light now, and you try to not sit there and say, ‘Man, he should have done this. I would have done this,’” Nowitzki said. “Nowadays, if there’s a 2-on-1 fast break, somebody’s pulling up for three. Obviously, I’ll be like, ‘What is he doing?’ in the green room. But that’s just part of the game now.”
“The game is played different, and these guys have a different mentality on how they see the game,” Nowitzki continued. “And so that’s part of our job, is explaining that and staying up to date and just analyzing that part that’s just so different from back in the days. But, yeah, it’s a different beast now for sure.”
Dirk Nowitzki On Criticizing Players
Nowitzki said he did not hear from a player upset over his commentary last season. When one of the hosts asked, “Was it Nico?” Nowitzki answered no, then added, “Yeah, I didn’t hear back on that one.” Dallas fired former president of basketball operations and general manager Nico Harrison in November 2025.
When there is a time to criticize, Nowitzki keeps his comments on the play itself.
“What I try to do is be fair,” Nowitzki said. “Obviously, I want to celebrate the game, but if there’s time to criticize, I can also say that he should have done this. But I think what I always try to do is not make it personal. Listen, I can criticize that was the wrong play to make at that time, and that’s it.”
“It has nothing. I’m not attacking the guy or his character, but in that play, he should have probably done this or switched that or made that pass,” Nowitzki continued. “That’s how I want to criticize, not in a personal manner, and I think that’s what we all are trying to do, and I think it’s gotten over pretty well.”
The crew’s meetings for year two are already coming up, according to Nowitzki. The Mavericks open the regular season Oct. 21 at Houston at 7:30 p.m. CT.
