Kobe Bryant and Steve Nash were the only superstars Nowitzki singled out as names that tried to recruit him away from the Mavericks. Nowitzki instead opted to sign a four-year contract extension to remain in Dallas, though. “I remember Kobe (Bryant) tried to get me to come to L.A. at some point, and (Steve Nash) was reaching out to me at some point,” Nowitzki said. “But then I signed that four-year deal.”