Dirk Nowitzki
German legend who redefined the power forward position and led the Mavericks to their only NBA championship.
via Wikipedia: Dirk Nowitzki · see source
Dirk Werner Nowitzki (born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), with whom he played his entire 21-year career as a power forward. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest power forwards of all time and is considered by many to be the greatest European player of all time.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Power Forward; Small Ball Center
- Primary team
- Dallas Mavericks
- All-star selections
- 14
Lore & Background
Nowitzki was born in Würzburg, Germany, to an athletic family: his mother Helga was a professional basketball player and his father Jörg-Werner was a handball player. His older sister Silke Nowitzki also became a basketball player. Nowitzki initially played handball and tennis, but turned to basketball after watching the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team. At age 15, he joined DJK Würzburg and was coached individually by Holger Geschwindner. He led the Germany national team to a bronze medal in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and a silver medal in EuroBasket 2005, being the leading scorer and MVP in both tournaments. He is the first German men's player to have his number retired, receiving this honor in September 2022.
Reader's Guide
Nowitzki was selected as the ninth pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He led the franchise to 15 NBA playoff appearances, including the franchise's first NBA Finals appearance in 2006 and its only NBA championship in 2011. He won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2007 and the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2011. He is a 14-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA Team member, the first European player to start in an All-Star Game, and the first European player to receive the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. He is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history. On December 10, 2012, he became the first non-American player to receive the Naismith Legacy Award. Following his retirement, he stood sixth on the NBA all-time scoring list. He was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in 2021, inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023, and into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2026.
Did You Know?
- Nowitzki is the only player to ever play for a single NBA franchise for 21 seasons.
- He wore jersey number 14 in Germany because Charles Barkley wore that number during the 1992 Olympics, but wore number 41 with the Mavericks because Robert Pack already had number 14.
- He was voted 'German Basketballer of the Year' by BASKET magazine after leading DJK Würzburg to promotion in the 1997–98 season.
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