It’s wild how fast memories come flooding back, right? One second you’re scrolling, the next you’re back in your old bedroom with posters on the wall—Dirk’s fadeaway, Peja’s silky jumper, Kirilenko’s wild blocks. These guys weren’t just players—they were eras. So when they show up together again, smiling like time never passed? It hits. Hard. That’s exactly what happened recently—Candace Parker said it out loud, but we all felt it—when Dirk Nowitzki, Andrei Kirilenko, and Peja Stojaković popped up together. It wasn’t just a photo. It was a time machine.

And this whole wave of nostalgia we’ve been riding? It comes as a courtesy of the upcoming 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. A total of 80 national teams will battle it out, aiming for one of the 31 available spots—Qatar, as the host, gets an automatic bid. The qualifiers will stretch across six windows from November 2025 to March 2027, packing in 420 games worldwide. Yep, it’s global. And it’s huge.

Kirilenko made the moment Instagram-official. He shared a photo with Nowitzki and Stojaković, writing: “Meeting Dirk @swish41 and Predrag @pedjastojakovic seems to have taken us back to carefree years. Always easy with these guys on and off the set. Was happy to see friends and remember where it all started.” He even dropped a throwback from the 2004 NBA All-Star Game—yep, that one. The shot where the three of them stood side by side, repping a generation of European talent that absolutely shook up the league. This was a reminder of a golden era, of when the NBA was just getting its first real taste of “Euro Fever.”

Parker couldn’t resist chiming in. On the post, she commented: “Nice to see you [Andrei] and Dirk put down the hair gel 😂😂😂😂 always have been a fan of all three of you and grew up idolizing y’all 🔥🔥🔥” It was the perfect blend of playful and heartfelt. A nod to the unforgettable (and let’s be honest—iconic) hairstyles Kirilenko and Dirk rocked in their prime. But also, it was real. That comment reflected how much players like Candace—and a whole generation of fans—admired them.

And in case you need a refresher, let’s take it back to the 2004 NBA All-Star Game—the actual moment frozen in that throwback photo. The trio—Dirk, Peja, and Andrei—suited up for the Western Conference alongside Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Yao Ming. Different home teams, same All-Star stage: Dirk repping the Dallas Mavericks, Andrei from the Utah Jazz, and Peja holding it down for the Sacramento Kings.

The West pulled off a 136-132 win at Staples Center in LA. Shaq dominated with 24 points (12-for-19 shooting), 11 rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. It was the West’s third straight win, powered by balanced scoring—seven of the 12 players scored 12 points or more. And for our Euro trio? Peja: 5 FGA, 1 3P; Dirk: 3 FGA, 0 3P; and Andrei: 3 FGA, 0 3P. Maybe their stats didn’t light up the box score that night, but their presence? It lit up the entire era.

While that’s that, another star of her era is set to bring back some fire.

Candace Parker to work alongside her ‘idol’

Candace Parker and Dirk Nowitzki—two legends from two very different corners of basketball greatness—are officially teaming up again, this time behind the mic. Starting in the 2025-26 NBA season, both Parker and Nowitzki will join Amazon Prime Video’s broadcast team as the streaming giant kicks off its first year as an official NBA broadcaster. Parker will serve as an in-game and studio analyst for both NBA and WNBA games, while Nowitzki, making his debut in broadcasting, will be part of the studio team breaking down matchups and moments across the league. For fans who watched them dominate on the court, this reunion is the kind of full-circle moment that hits just right.

Amazon’s “NBA on Prime” team is shaping up to be nothing short of elite. Alongside Parker and Nowitzki, the lineup includes fellow Hall of Famers and NBA veterans like Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade, Udonis Haslem, and Blake Griffin, with Taylor Rooks hosting the studio show. The streaming platform is going all-in, with plans to air 67 regular-season NBA games annually, all seven games of the in-season Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds, and full coverage of the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament. Prime Video will also hold exclusive rights to the NBA Conference Finals in six of the next eleven years, so fans will be seeing a lot of Candace and Dirk breaking down some of the biggest games of the year.

Parker, fresh off her 2024 retirement and already a seasoned analyst from her time with TNT, will also lead Prime Video’s WNBA coverage beginning in 2026. That includes 30 regular-season games each year and postseason coverage, including the WNBA Commissioner’s Cup Final and multiple WNBA Finals.

It’s funny how basketball always brings things full circle. Parker grew up watching Nowitzki dominate with that unguardable fadeaway, and now will share the studio as an analyst, and maybe, just maybe, she’ll finally ask him about that hair in person.