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Dirk Nowitzki

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Dirk Werner Nowitzki (born June 19 1978 in Würzburg, West Germany (now Germany)) is a basketball player for the United States' National Basketball Association's (NBA) Dallas Mavericks. Standing at 2.13 m (7 ft 0 in), Nowitzki is an all-purpose forward, able to play any position in the frontcourt (center, power forward, or small forward).

Dirk is widely regarded as one of the premier players in the NBA today, as well as one of the best European players of all time. Although there have been numerous German players in the NBA, in 2006 Nowitzki became just the second German-born player (after Detlef Schrempf) to make it to the Finals.

Contents

Early life

A native of Würzburg, Nowitzki came from an athletic family; his father was a handball player, his mother was a member of the German women's national basketball team, and his older sister played basketball in the United States at Duquesne University. Nowitzki was sporadically recruited by U.S. colleges as a teenager in Germany, and seriously considered attending Pennsylvania State University, but those plans were dashed when he was drafted into a civil service regiment of the German military, where he served from September 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998. However, he was allowed to continue playing pro basketball over the weekends. [link]

He was first noticed by the NBA world when a team of American pro stars, including Scottie Pippen, Jason Kidd, Gary Payton and Charles Barkley, came to Germany and played an exhibition game against a German national youth team in September 1997. During the game, Nowitzki dunked over Charles Barkley. Barkley saw a future superstar in the gangly German teenager and later admitted to offering to pay him "any amount of money he wanted if he would come to his alma mater, Auburn." [link], [link]

Nowitzki did not truly gain international attention, however, until the March 1998 Nike Hoop Summit in San Antonio, Texas, where he notched 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead a team of international juniors to a surprise victory over a U.S. junior team. [link]

NBA career

Early years

Nowitzki decided to declare for the 1998 NBA Draft at the age of 20. He had a promise from Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino that his team would take him with the 10th overall selection. However, one other team was interested in the German prospect: the Dallas Mavericks, and they selected him just one pick earlier. Technically, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but the Bucks were selecting for the Mavericks; the two teams had a pre-arranged deal. The Mavericks had likewise selected Robert "Tractor" Traylor for the Bucks with the sixth pick. Even though the two teams were selecting for each other, the Nowitzki-for-Traylor deal has gone down as one of the most infamous and lopsided trades ever. The Mavericks also got the draft rights to nineteenth-overall pick Pat Garrity, but that same draft, Garrity was traded (along with other players and future draft considerations) to the Phoenix Suns for young point guard Steve Nash. On that night, the Dallas Mavericks acquired the two pieces on which they would build their franchise for years to come.

Mavs GM Don Nelson touted Nowitzki as the sure-fire 1998-99 Rookie of the Year at the draft, a lofty expectation for a 20-year-old who was in the U.S. for the first time. Dallas fans were understandably upset, then, when Nowitzki looked lost when on the floor in mop-up minutes as a rookie. Determined to prove that he could be a force in the NBA, Nowitzki returned to Germany in the 1999 offseason, working hard on sharpening his total game. The summer of work helped immensely, as Nowitzki emerged as a starter and future star in 1999-2000, when he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, finishing second in voting for the league's Most Improved Player.

The following season (2000-01), he averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds and became the first Maverick to be named to the All-NBA team, making the third team.

The All-Star

In 2001-02, Nowitzki averaged 23.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game. He was again selected to the All-NBA team, this time on the second team. In the following summer, he played on the German national team that finished third at the FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis and was named the tournament MVP.

Before the 2002-03 season, he was named in a survey of NBA general managers as the league's top international player. He met those expectations; he matched his 2001-02 rebound average and increased his scoring average to a career-high 25.1 points. He was again selected to the All-Star Game and the All-NBA second team.

He suffered through nagging ankle injuries in 2003-04, but still managed to finish in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring, at 21.8 ppg, and added 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He was again selected for the All-Star Game, and again made the All-NBA team, this time on the third team. Nowitzki was one of the Mavericks' few bright spots in a five-game loss to the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2004 playoffs, averaging 26.6 points and 11.8 rebounds for the series.

The franchise player

Before the 2004-05 NBA season, Nowitzki's best friend Steve Nash left Dallas and returned to the Phoenix Suns as a free agent after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban refused to match Phoenix's offer. Without Nash, many feared Nowitzki's game would falter, but precisely the opposite occurred. Nowitzki would score 26.1 points a game, a career-high, and net 9.7 rebounds. His 1.5 blocks and 3.1 assists were also career numbers. On December 2, 2004, Nowitzki scored 53 points in an overtime win against the Houston Rockets, a career best.

Nowitzki was voted to the first team All-NBA squad for the 2004-05 season, although the Mavericks were ousted from the playoffs by the Nash-led Suns. That season Nowitzki also placed third in the league's MVP voting, behind Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. By being elected to the first team All-NBA, Nowitzki became the first player who did not attend a United States high school or college to be on the All-NBA first team.

Disappointed in his team's early exit from the playoffs, Nowitzki looked forward to the next season. Teammate Michael Finley was waived over the summer, and now Nowitzki was the last player from remaining from the Mavericks' "Big Three" of Nash, Finley, and himself. He was now the unequivocal leader of the team.

Under the tutelage of coach and former teammate Avery Johnson, who acceded to the head coach position when Don Nelson stepped down late in the 2003-04 season, Nowitzki made strides in his inside game. Long considered a "soft" jump shooter in the mold of many European players, Nowitzki cut back on his three-point attempts and concentrated on his inside game. He went on to have another career year, with averaging 26.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He improved his shooting percentage, setting personal season records in field goals (48.0%), three-point shots (40.6%) and free throws (90.1%). On January 3, 2006, Nowitzki broke a Mavericks franchise record, previously held by Nash, by making his 50th consecutive free throw. On January 6, his record streak ended at 60. During the 2006 All-Star Weekend in Houston, Nowitzki scored 18 points to defeat Seattle Supersonics guard Ray Allen in the Three-Point Shootout contest.

Perhaps more importantly, under Johnson, a coach nicknamed "The Little General" for his diminutive height and born leadership, Nowitzki learned to lead his team by example, and he paced the Mavericks to a 60-win season. The team finished with the third-best record in the league, behind the defending Western Conference champion San Antonio Spurs and defending Eastern Conference champion Detroit Pistons. As in the 2004-05 season, he finished third in the league's MVP voting, this time behind Nash and LeBron James. He was again elected to the first team All-NBA squad.

Nowitzki would confirm his superstar average in earnest during the playoffs, and averaged 27.0 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. The Mavericks would sweep the Memphis Grizzlies and defeat the San Antonio Spurs in seven games to advance to the Western Conference Finals, where they would again meet Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns. Nowitzki scored 50 points to lead the Mavericks to a victory in crucial Game 5 with the series tied 2-2; the Mavericks would go on to win in six games and face the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals. Of Nowitzki's performance, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons would remark, "Dirk is playing at a higher level than any forward since Bird." [link] The Mavericks lost the Finals series 4-2 to the Heat.

Nowitzki, the first European player to become an NBA superstar, is thought by some to be leading a revolution in how the game is played. Helped by rule changes meant to discourage contact and increase scoring in response to flagging interest in the league and the poor performance of American players in international competition, the NBA game has gone from a tough, grinding affair to a more finesse-oriented game, as evidenced by the recent success of teams such as the Mavericks and Suns who place a premium on speed and scoring rather than size and physicality. Miami Heat center, 2000 NBA MVP, and three-time NBA Finals MVP Shaquille O'Neal said of Nowitzki, "The game is changing and the rules are changing. The NBA centers are going more toward the European player. I tell my kids you won't be able to play the game your daddy played. It's becoming a different game. He is where the big-man game will be in four or five years. When you talk great big men, it'll be based on whether guys can play like Dirk or not. Stepping out, shooting the three, midrange game and the low-post game. I'm going to actually let my children watch his game." [link]

Nowitzki is tied with Paul Pierce of the Boston Celtics and Zydrunas Ilgauskas of the Cleveland Cavaliers for sixth place among active players who have played their entire NBA career for one team (8 seasons). (Kevin Garnett leads all active players, having played 11 seasons for the Minnesota Timberwolves.)

Play style

Dirk Nowitzki playing for German team at Eurobasket 2005 in Belgrade.
Enlarge
Dirk Nowitzki playing for German team at Eurobasket 2005 in Belgrade.

Nowitzki is one of the best shooters in the NBA, capable of shooting a high percentage from both medium range and beyond the three-point line, an exceptional skill for a 7-foot forward. His tall frame makes it difficult for defenders to guard and contest his jump shots. Nowitzki utilizes a fadeaway jumper which is difficult to block, and he is outstanding at the free throw line (over 90% in 2006). Some critics note that, for a man of his size, he should be able to score more from the low post, although in recent years his inside game has improved. Dirk also has perhaps the most effective high post game in the NBA today. He often receives a pass near the top of the key and brings the ball down to the low post to score on a drive. This element of his game has developed mostly in the past year.

Nowitzki was a great complement to former teammate Steve Nash on the pick and roll. Though Nowitzki now has to create his own offense more without the benefit of Nash's pinpoint passes, he was able to adjust to the change fairly easily with a combination of driving and stopping in the lane for jump shots.

Early in his career, Nowitzki had a reputation for lackluster defense; one critic joked that Nowitzki should be referred to as "Irk" because "he had no D[efense]."[[Citing sources citation needed]] However, Nowitzki's defense has improved under the tutelage of current Dallas coach Avery Johnson. Recently, Nowitzki notched a career high in blocks on January 6, 2006, with 7 against the Denver Nuggets.

Nowitzki is frequently compared to Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird, as both are considered among the best shooters of all-time and both are prolific scorers. Both Bird and Nowitzki are three-point contest champs and excellent free-throw shooters. However, those who make such comparisons acknowledge that Bird had a more developed all-around game and was a better passer, defender, and clutch player. Also, Bird was an immediate sensation in the league winning the Rookie of the Year, while Nowitzki, who entered the league three years younger than Bird, took some time to develop. Nowitzki's scoring pace has now caught up to Bird's, but his rebounding and ball sense still fall short; Nowitzki has never averaged more than 10 rebounds per game, while Bird, in the first six years of his career, never averaged fewer than 10. [link] [link]

Awards/achievements

NBA highlights

* First Team: 2005, 2006
* Second Team: 2002, 2003
* Third Team: 2001, 2004
  • NBA regular-season leader, PER: 2006 (28.1) [link]
  • NBA All-Star Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout Champion: 2006

    • Milestones

    Dallas Mavericks franchise records

    Other

    Trivia

    References

    External links

     

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