NBA friendships are often built through years of on-court battles, Olympic tournaments or shared locker rooms. For Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams , however, the foundation of their friendship came in a far less conventional setting.
Recalling the story in an interview with Grantland, Nowitzki painted a vivid picture of how his friendship with Williams began during the 2011 All-Star Weekend night out.
"Deron and I have actually known each other for a little bit… I was out partying one night, and here he comes into the club with a whole crew of guys. It was a Nike party in L.A. two years ago, and so he comes with his crew, and there's no room in the entire thing," the 2007 NBA MVP recounted .
"We had a little room, and so his whole crew starts talking to us and shoves their way into our table. We had an awesome night that night. We had a blast. Kanye West was onstage — Kanyeezy!"
For some big-name athletes, having an entire entourage squeeze into an already crowded VIP section would be enough to ruin the evening. For Nowitzki and Williams, it became the start of a genuine friendship between two of the league's brightest stars.
Unsurprisingly, that memorable night carried significance even after that All-Star Weekend. By the summer of 2012, Williams had become one of the biggest names on the free agent market. He was aggressively pursued by several teams, with the Mavs making him one of their top priorities.
Dallas had cleared salary-cap space with hopes of pairing another superstar alongside Nowitzki after the franchise's 2011 championship run. At the time, the Mavs viewed D-Will as the ideal point guard for their next chapter.
For his part, Dirk wasn't just watching the recruitment from a distance.
"I've had Deron's number since then, and we were texting sometimes," Nowitzki remembered further. "And he knew I wanted him to come here. We talked when it was all in the process."
While Nowitzki personally helped in recruiting Williams to join the Mavs, the All-Star point guard eventually chose to remain in Brooklyn . D-Will re-signed with the Nets on a five-year maximum contract reportedly worth between $98 million and $100 million, ending one of the biggest free-agency pursuits of that offseason.
Three years later, Williams reached a buyout agreement with the Nets, a deal that put an end to a difficult chapter in Brooklyn. After clearing waivers in 2015, Deron inked a two-year contract with the Mavs.
However, the circumstances had changed considerably by then.
Nowitzki was no longer in his MVP-caliber prime and had entered the twilight years of his Hall of Fame career. Williams, meanwhile, was looking for a fresh start after injuries altered the trajectory of his athletic peak.
Although they never became the championship duo they initially thought they could be, at least Dirk and Deron officially became teammates and more than just nightclub buddies.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jul 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
