After playing his 19th season with the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk Nowitzki has informed the team he will return for his 20th NBA season, according to Mavs.com. He will exercise his player option to opt into the final season of his two-year, $50 million contract.

Nowitzki joins just Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Kevin Willis, and Robert Parrish as the only players in NBA history to play 20 seasons. He and Bryant are the only players to spend two decades with one team.

There is also a chance he returns for his 21st season, a feat only Parrish and Willis have accomplished. – SB Nation

The Dallas Mavericks aren’t going to the playoffs after their 33-49 regular season, but they got some good news today as Dirk Nowitzki announced he’ll be returning next year for his 20th NBA season. Dirk will become only the second player in NBA history to play 20 seasons for the same team (Kobe Bryant) and if this season is any indication, Dirk can still perform. While his 14.2 points per game were the second lowest of his career, it was still good for second on the team. He also shot barely under 44% from the field and led the team in rebounds with 6.5 per game. Dirk is still an above average contributor, so hopefully the Mavs can make some offseason moves and make his 20th season count.