Dirk Nowitzki is passing the baton in many ways as he creeps into the NBA's AARP generation.
It's not always about letting somebody else take the big shot, either.
He's willingly stepping aside to allow young buck Chandler Parsons take over as the Mavericks head of recruiting. As Nowitzki said, Parsons is pretty good at schmoozing.
Parsons, 26, is coming off his first season with the Mavericks. It was a solid start to what he hopes is a long run with the team that plucked him out of Houston with a princely paycheck. And he's ready to do whatever he can to make sure the franchise is better equipped to compete next season and beyond.
Parsons said on the first day of the offseason that he wants to be involved in any recruiting pitches made to free agents. It's a job he believes should come with the territory as he begins the process of becoming a more polished player and a bigger piece of the organization's fabric.
"Shifting into GM mode," as Parsons called it, is a logical step as far as he is concerned.
"I think it's kind of like a known thing that I'd like to do that," he said. "I have a lot of good relationships with a lot of guys. Obviously now with the season just ended, I haven't talked with them about who or what or whatever, but we'll take a look here soon. I'll be in Dallas pretty much all summer, so I'm sure we'll have those conversations when the time comes."
Just how good can Parsons be in "GM mode?" The Mavericks learned firsthand two summers ago. Dwight Howard cited Parsons as one of the key reasons the big man ultimately chose Houston over his other suitors, including the Mavericks.
The fact that Parsons took part in the U.S. national team's training camp last summer will help going forward. He forged some good friendships with many of the NBA's elite players who were aspiring to make the team that won the World Cup.
There is more good news. Parsons made the smart decision of getting his knee operation taken care of as quickly as possible after the Mavericks' brief playoff run was over. That will let him start his rehab as soon as possible and should mean that he's able to make recruiting trips if they need to be made July 1 when free agency opens.
The first priority, of course, is getting his right knee as fit as possible. He had the surgery Friday, and the Mavericks expect a full recovery from the procedure which was designed to relieve the pain and swelling that had been a problem since Parsons fell on the knee March 29 at Indiana.
Parsons expects to be back stronger than ever next season. He's got bigger plans than the 15.7 points and 4.9 rebounds he averaged this season. He missed 16 games because of injury after missing only 17 in his first three seasons combined while with the Rockets.
Being injured was new to him. But it hasn't dented his confidence going forward.
"I'm going into my prime," he said. "I think I'm ready. I feel like this year was more of a year to get comfortable and get my feet wet. I had some big games. Next year I hope for a much bigger role. I want the ball in my hands. I want good players around me.
"I think we have a chance to make some noise next year. Like I said, this year was a little frustrating, mostly just health wise. So my biggest goal right now is to do whatever I have to do [to rehabilitate his knee], no matter how long that's going to be."
While he does his rehab on the knee, he plans to strengthen the rest of his body. He wants to get stronger in the weight room and work on his core.
All of which he can do while he helps restock the roster.
So what will be his recruiting pitch?
"We have a great organization," Parsons said. "We have high expectations. We have the best owner in sports.
"We're definitely moving in the right direction, and we have a lot of pieces that would fit well with the free agents out there right now. And we have a great coach, so I think we're moving in the right direction. We're a championship-caliber team. We've just got to get the right pieces. I have great relationships with a lot of guys that are out there."
Mavs President Donnie Nelson said he welcomes the help.
"We're hopeful to be successful again in the free-agent market," he said. "And yes, Chandler Parsons will be front and center."
Sports on 05/07/2015