Dirk Nowitzki

Who is Dirk Nowitzki?

Dirk Nowitzki is a German basketball player who is often regarded as one of the most talented players to emerge from Europe. He was born into an athletic family, and his unusual height made him choose basketball among other sports. He naturally flourished in the game. He joined ‘DJK Würzburg’ when he was just 16 and was later traded to the ‘Dallas Mavericks’ in the ‘National Basketball Association (NBA) draft.’ His association with the ‘Mavericks’ continues to remain strong even today. He holds the record of appearing for the most number of seasons (21) with the same club. In his career, he has won several ‘Most Valuable Player’ (MVP) awards. He became the first European to start in an ‘All-Star’ game. At the end of the season in 2018, he ranked sixth on the ‘NBA’ leading scorers list, with over 31,000 points. His signature jump shot has been spoken of highly by many other basketball players. Nowitzki’s popularity and consistency have earned him many awards, including the prestigious ‘Naismith Legacy Award’ in 2012. He also played regularly for his national team and helped Germany win the bronze medal in the 2002 ‘FIBA World Championship.’ Nowitzki’s inspiring career has been the subject of a book and a documentary that focused on his steady rise as a foreigner in the American basketball world. He remains one of the greatest basketball players currently active.

NBA Career

Nowitzki’s career began with a bumpy start, as he had to juggle sports and studies. In his first season of the ‘Second Bundesliga’ in 1994, he scored poorly and was often benched. In the next season, in 1995, he scored well regularly and made a name for himself. In 1996, he helped his team reach the second spot in the league.

In the 1997–1998 season, he ended as the lead scorer and was named the ‘German Basketballer of the Year’ by German magazine ‘Basket.’ His squad, ‘DJK,’ too, finished at the top spot.

He gained international recognition after participating in the ‘Nike Hoop Heroes Tour’ against ‘NBA’ stars. After an impressive performance, he was chosen to play in the ‘Nike Hoop Summit.’ He outplayed many established ‘NBA’ stars. He was eventually selected by the ‘Mavericks.’

His initial matches for the ‘NBA’ turned out to be disappointing, as Nowitzki was often heckled and made fun of. Despite playing well, he scored poorly and even contemplated returning to Germany. However, he persisted and continued with the ‘Dallas Mavericks.’

In 2000, the ‘Dallas Mavericks’ were taken over by Mark Cuban, who restructured the team in a positive way. Consequently, the team’s and Nowitzki’s performance improved, and he averaged 17.5 points. He earned a number of honors and was the runner-up for the ‘NBA Most Improved Player Award.’

He became the first member of his team to be named to the ‘All-NBA’ squad. His performances with the ‘Mavericks’ boosted the team’s ranking. In the next season, he signed a $90-million contract extension, which made him one of the highest-paid German athletes. He was also voted the ‘European Basketballer of the Year’ by ‘La Gazzetta dello Sport.’

In the 2002 season, Nowitzki’s averages became higher and that helped the team rank higher. His performances were crucial to his team’s wins. His points, despite a change in position, continued to help the ‘Mavericks.’

In the 2004–2005 season, he averaged 26.1 points, a career-high score. Subsequently, he was named to the ‘All-NBA First Team.’ He improved his skills in the upcoming seasons.

In the 2006 season, Nowitzki’s averages increased dramatically, and he was named the ‘MVP’ of the league. He helped his team enter the ‘NBA Playoffs.’ However, the team did not progress much. The ‘Mavericks’ fared poorly in the next couple of seasons, too, despite his successful performance.

In the 2009–2010 season, Nowitzki touched the 20,000-point milestone and was selected for the ‘All-Star Game.’ He chose to continue his contract with the ‘Mavericks’ by signing a $80-million deal for 4 years.

In 2011, his performances helped the ‘Mavericks’ reach a higher position. He continued playing in crucial matches despite sustaining a ligament injury and suffering from high fever. His winning points clinched the team’s first championship. He was named the ‘MVP’ of the season.

He touched the 1,000-game mark in 2011 and received his championship ring in January 2012. He surpassed many legends, such as Robert Parish and Charles Barkley, and touched 24,000 points.

His performance in the 2013 season was constantly interrupted by injuries and a subsequent surgery. However, he managed to touch 25,000 points. In April 2014, he earned the tenth spot on the all-time scoring list, with 26,712 points. The same year, he signed another contract with the ‘Mavericks,’ for $25 million. He scored over 28,000 points by 2015.

Soon, he became the sixth basketballer to touch 29,000 points and renewed his contract. In the 2016–2017 season, despite many injuries, he touched the coveted 30,000-point mark. He also decided to become a free agent and continued playing with the ‘Mavericks,’ keeping other options open.

In 2018, Nowitzki touched the 31,000-point mark and continued to increase his career total. He appeared in most of the matches and put up an impressive performance. In the 2018–2019 season, he set the ‘NBA’ record for playing the most number of seasons (21 seasons) with the same club.