Dirk Nowitzki gives everyone else a round of applause. When some observers raised concerns about Kevin Durant's decision to accept a much larger pay cut than originally expected to return to the Golden State Warriors, others noted that it wasn't exactly mold-breaking for a player to leave money on the table — lots of it, even — to help their teams' front offices add or retain talent and bolster the team's chances of competing for a title. Dirk Nowitzki, who has been part of the Dallas Mavericks since "Saving Private Ryan" was in theaters, and who has taken multiple hometown discounts over the years in hopes of keeping the Mavs in the mix.