Dirk Nowitzki injury update: Mavericks' star practices on Friday

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki was a full participant in practice on Friday, a day after it was feared he would need surgery on his knee, according to ESPN's Tim MacMahon.

Nowitzki sat out Tuesday's exhibition in Spain against FC Barcelona Regal with a swollen right knee, with reports stating that the forward could opt to have arthroscopic surgery on the knee prior to the season. The decision for surgery was expected to come soon, as having surgery sooner than later would mean a quicker return to the court.

This is the second consecutive season in which Nowitzki has gone through training camp with a sore right knee, an injury that plagued the veteran for much of the first half of last season. The injury affected Nowitzki's conditioning and training and had a detrimental effect on his performance for most of the first part of the year.

The Mavericks open the season on Oct. 30 in Los Angeles against the Lakers.

This article originally appeared on SBNation.com.