Dirk Nowitzki is finally ready to make his 2018-19 debut.
The Mavericks great is set to begin his 21st season Thursday when Dallas visits Phoenix, ESPN reported, citing unidentified sources.
Nowitzki had surgery to remove bone spurs from his left ankle just before the end of last season. The 13-time All-Star was on schedule to be ready for the start of this season before suffering a major setback. He was experiencing tendon soreness before the start of training camp in September, which forced him to push his timeline back.
He officially was listed as questionable for the first time this season on Monday but sat out the team's win over the Magic that night and Wednesday's win over the Hawks.
Nowitzki, 40, remains the seventh-leading scorer in NBA history with 31,187 career points.
The Mavericks (15-11) will go for their fourth straight victory when they visit the Suns (4-24) at 10:30 p.m. ET Thursday.
