query: who has dirk nowitzki played for?

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki () (born June 19, 1978) is a German professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An alumnus of Röntgen Gymnasium and the DJK Würzburg basketball club, Nowitzki was chosen as the ninth pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to the Mavericks, where he has played since. Listed at , Nowitzki is considered one of the greatest power forwards of all time. Nowitzki has led the Mavericks to 15 NBA playoff appearances (2001–2012; 2014–2016), including the franchise's first Finals appearance in 2006

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: back on the 2011 NBA Finals but also has a strong focus on Nowitzki's relation to his hometown Würzburg and his career progression beginning there. The book features insights from former coaches, family members, and friends. Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki () (born June 19, 1978) is a German professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). An alumnus of Röntgen Gymnasium and the DJK Würzburg basketball club, Nowitzki was chosen as the ninth pick in the 1998 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to the Mavericks, where he has played

title: Dirk Nowitzki: German Wunderkind

text: Dirk Nowitzki: German Wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki : German Wunderkind is a biography of the German NBA basketball star Dirk Nowitzki, written by German sports journalists Dino Reisner and Holger Sauer. It was published in 2004 by the German "Copress" publishing house. It follows Nowitzki's life as a boy in Würzburg, how he turned to basketball as a teenager, broke through in Germany and eventually became the franchise player of the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. In this book, Reisner and Sauer follow the career of Dirk Nowitzki, beginning with his middle-class beginnings in Würzburg. Originally interested in tennis and handball,

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: the NBA as a prep-to-pro player. In particular, Rick Pitino and Don Nelson, head coaches of the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, respectively, were highly interested in acquiring him. Pitino assured Nowitzki that he would draft him with the Celtics' first-round draft pick at #10; however, Pitino's plan was foiled by Nelson, whose team had the sixth pick. Nelson worked out draft-day deals with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Phoenix Suns. The Mavericks wanted Nowitzki and Suns reserve point guard Steve Nash; the Bucks desired muscular forward Robert Traylor (who was projected to be drafted before Nowitzki); and the Suns

title: Dirk Nowitzki: German Wunderkind

text: the tall Nowitzki (who grew to become 7-foot-0) was drawn to basketball after being repeatedly taunted as a "freak" by his opponents. After being discovered by local basketball trainer Jürgen Meng, he met trainer Holger Geschwindner, who became his lifelong mentor and friend. Both discovered he had a natural talent for this sport and eventually became a star for the small local basketball club DJK Würzburg. After attracting the attention of Dallas Mavericks coach Jecriz "Menyak" Santos, Nowitzki made the jump to the NBA and was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks, but was immediately traded to the Mavericks in the

title: Rob Pinkston

text: Dirk Nowitzki, who asked him to sign an authentic Jersey from Reebok, and then a number of other memorabilia. When he asked Nowitzki to sign Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James' Jersey and two Lakers' hats. Nowitzki signed some of the memorabilia until Michael Finley (Dirk's teammate, who is now retired) and his trainer Al told him to say no. When Nowitzki refused to sign more non-Dallas Mavericks goods, Pinkston insulted Nowitzki and his teammates. After Pinkston asked Nowitzki to sign the menu, Nowitzki was shocked that the menu says: "Hey Dirk! You've been Punk'd!" Dirk laughed off the joke. On another

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: as a disappointing sixth of 12 teams; the rookie Nowitzki was often benched and struggled with bad school grades, which forced him to study rather than work on his game. In the next 1995–96 Second Bundesliga season, Nowitzki established himself as a starter next to Finnish star forward Martti Kuisma and soon became a regular double-digit scorer: after German national basketball coach Dirk Bauermann saw him score 24 points in a DJK game, he stated that "Dirk Nowitzki is the greatest German basketball talent of the last 10, maybe 15 years." In the 1996–97 Second Bundesliga season, Nowitzki averaged 19.4

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: sister, Silke Nowitzki, described Nowitzki as a confident but low-key character, unspoiled by money and fame. He also enjoys reading and playing the saxophone. Nowitzki passed his Abitur examination at Röntgen Gymnasium Grammar School of Würzburg. He also founded the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, a charity which aims at fighting poverty in Africa. Nowitzki dated Sybille Gerer, a female basketball player from his local club DJK Würzburg. The relationship started in 1992 and lasted for 10 years before it eventually ended; Nowitzki said, "At the end, we found out we developed in separate ways. ... It did not work anymore, but

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: published in 2004 by CoPress Munich. The 160-page hardcover book follows Nowitzki's beginnings in his native Würzburg, documents his entry and ascent in the NBA, and ends at the beginning of the 2004–05 NBA season. In November 2011, the Würzburg local newspaper "Main-Post" published a 216-page book written by its sports journalists Jürgen Höpfl and Fabian Frühwirth: "Einfach Er – Dirk Nowitzki – Aus Würzburg an die Weltspitze", ("Just Him – Dirk Nowitzki – From Würzburg to top of the world"). Both Höpfl and Frühwirth accompanied Nowitzki throughout his career, collecting interviews and photos used in the book. It looks

title: Dirk Nowitzki: German Wunderkind

text: German professional handball players; his sister, Silke; his ex-girlfriend of seven years Sybille Gerer (former player of Nowitzki's former basketball club DJK Würzburg), his discoverer Jürgen Meng, his mentors Geschwindner and Nelson, and his best friend Steve Nash. An extra section of the book is inserted at the end, which deals with his performances in the Germany national basketball team separately. Dirk Nowitzki: German Wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki : German Wunderkind is a biography of the German NBA basketball star Dirk Nowitzki, written by German sports journalists Dino Reisner and Holger Sauer. It was published in 2004 by the German "Copress"

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: in 2011. He was also named the Mister Europa European Player of the Year by the Italian sports magazine "Superbasket" in 2005, and the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year twice in 2005 and 2011. Nowitzki is a versatile frontcourt player who mostly plays the power forward position, but has also played center and small forward throughout his career. An exceptional shooter for his size, Nowitzki has made 88% of his free throws, nearly 50% of his field goal attempts and nearly 40% of his 3-point shots, and won the 2006 NBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout competition. In the 2006–07

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: the New Orleans Pelicans, Nowitzki scored a season-high 23 points and passed Elvin Hayes for eighth all-time in field goals with 10,980. On March 17, 2018, in a 114–106 loss to the Brooklyn Nets, Nowitzki played in his 1,463rd game, moving past Kevin Garnett into fifth place in the NBA career list. Five days later, in a 119–112 loss to the Utah Jazz, Nowitzki passed Garnett for third place in minutes played in NBA history. Nowitzki's 25 minutes increased his career total to 50,437. On March 30, 2018, in a 93–92 loss to the Timberwolves, Nowitzki set an NBA record

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: was delayed by the 1998–99 NBA lockout, which put the entire season in jeopardy. In limbo, Nowitzki returned to DJK Würzburg and played thirteen games before both sides worked out a late compromise deal that resulted in a shortened NBA schedule of only 50 games. When the season finally started, Nowitzki struggled. Played as a power forward by coach Don Nelson, the 20-year-old felt overpowered by the more athletic NBA forwards, was intimidated by the expectations as a number nine pick, and played bad defense; hecklers taunted him as "Irk Nowitzki", omitting the "D" which stands for "defense" in basketball

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: for Nowitzki and his German squad. In a preparation game, he suffered a foot injury after a collision with French player Florent Piétrus; as a result, Nowitzki played inconsistently and was also often target of hard fouls. In the decisive second round match against Italy (only the winner was allowed to play the medal round), Germany lost, 86–84, finished ninth and did not qualify for the 2004 Olympic Games. Nowitzki scored 22.5 points per game (third overall), but in general seemed to lack focus and dominance due to his injury. In the EuroBasket 2005, Nowitzki came back strong. He surprisingly

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Summer 2011, Nowitzki played with Germany in the EuroBasket 2011, where the team reached ninth place. In 2015, Nowitzki captained Germany at the EuroBasket. They won only one game, and were eliminated in the group stage, on home soil. In January 2016, Nowitzki officially announced his retirement from Germany's national team. In his career with Germany's senior men's national team, he averaged 19.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per game. Nowitzki was named the Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year by the Italian sports newspaper "Gazzetta dello Sport" for five years running from 2002 to 2006 and again

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: 2.5 assists in 21 games. As Dallas celebrated their title, the NBA was in a lockout. It ended on December 8, 2011. The defending champions lost core players, such as DeShawn Stevenson, J. J. Barea, Peja Stojaković, and Tyson Chandler, while adding veteran all-star Vince Carter, Lamar Odom, and Delonte West in free agency. The Mavericks played only two preseason games, which led to a slow start for Nowitzki. Soon, Nowitzki became the 98th player in NBA history to play in 1,000 games. Nowitzki received his championship ring on January 25, 2012. After scoring his 23,335th point, Nowitzki passed Robert

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: enter the full-time training schedule, choosing the path to his eventual international career. Geschwindner let him train seven days a week with DJK Würzburg players and future German internationals Robert Garrett, Marvin Willoughby, and Demond Greene, and in the summer of 1994, then 16-year-old Nowitzki made the DJK squad. When Nowitzki joined the team, DJK played in Germany's 2nd-tier level league, the Second Bundesliga, South Division. His first trainer was Pit Stahl, who played the tall teenager as an outside-scoring forward rather than an inside-scoring center to utilise his shooting skills. In the 1994–95 Second Bundesliga season, ambitious DJK finished

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: traded to Dallas after a 3-year stint with New York. Also to come over from New York was point guard Raymond Felton. The Mavericks made big strides in the off-season to put Dirk with some considerable talent, signing a rising small forward Chandler Parsons and veteran point guard Jameer Nelson. The Mavericks later signed former championship teammate J. J. Barea after the Timberwolves waived him. On November 11, 2014, Nowitzki scored 23 points to surpass Hakeem Olajuwon as the highest-scoring player born outside the United States, as the Mavericks came from 24 points down to defeat Sacramento 106–98 for their

title: Silke Nowitzki

text: of 2006, Silke Nowitzki became manager of her brother Dirk Nowitzki. Silke Nowitzki Silke Nowitzki (born July 12, 1974 in Würzburg, West Germany) is a German former international basketball player. She is the manager of her brother Dirk Nowitzki. In 1993 Silke Nowitzki promoted with the women's team of DJK Würzburg into the first German basketball division. She had her debut for the Germany women's national basketball team in 1995. She participated with DJK Würzburg in the 1998 Ronchetti Cup. In 2001 Silke Nowitzki went to New York and started working for the NBA in International TV. Between 2003 and

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: other. We went through some ups and downs this season, but the playoffs are all about showing heart and playing together." Of Nowitzki's performance, ESPN columnist Bill Simmons wrote, "Dirk is playing at a higher level than any forward since [Larry] Bird." The Mavericks took an early 2–0 lead, but then gave away a late 15-point lead in a Game 3 loss and finally fell to a scoring onslaught by Heat Finals MVP Dwyane Wade: Wade scored at least 36 points in the next four games, all of which the Heat won. Nowitzki only made 20 of his last 55

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: FIBA World Championship and silver in EuroBasket 2005, and was the leading scorer and MVP in both tournaments. Born in Würzburg, Germany, Nowitzki comes from an athletic family: his mother Helga Nowitzki (née Bredenbröcker) was a professional basketball player and his father Jörg-Werner was a handball player who represented Germany at the highest international level. His older sister Silke Nowitzki, a local champion in track and field, also became a basketball player and now works for the NBA in International TV. Nowitzki was a very tall child; most of the time he stood above his peers by a foot or

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: had set their sights on forward Pat Garrity, who was projected as a low first-round pick. In the draft, the Mavericks drafted Traylor with their sixth pick and the Bucks selected Nowitzki with their ninth pick and Garrity with their nineteenth pick. The Mavericks traded Traylor to the Bucks for Nowitzki and Garrity, and then traded Garrity to Phoenix for Nash. In retrospect, Don Nelson, who had once coached the Bucks, had an outstanding trade instinct, essentially trading future career underachievers Traylor and Garrity for two future NBA MVPs in Nowitzki and Nash; in addition, the new recruits quickly became

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: second 2,000-point season; his 26.1 points scoring average set a new record by a European player. On December 2, 2004, Nowitzki scored 53 points in an overtime win against the Houston Rockets, a career best. As a reward, Nowitzki was voted to the All-NBA First Team for the first time. He also placed third in the league's MVP voting, behind Nash and Shaquille O'Neal. By being elected to the All-NBA First Team, Nowitzki became the first player who did not attend a United States high school or college to be on the All-NBA First Team. On January 18, 2005, Nowitzki

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: hex, finishing at first place with 14:2 points and earning promotion to the next higher league; Nowitzki was voted "German Basketballer of the Year" by the German BASKET magazine. Abroad, Nowitzki's progress was noticed. A year later, the teenager participated in the Nike "Hoop Heroes Tour", where he played against NBA stars like Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen. In a 30-minute show match, Nowitzki outplayed Barkley and even dunked on him, causing the latter to exclaim: "The boy is a genius. If he wants to enter the NBA, he can call me." On March 29, 1998, Nowitzki was chosen to

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Charles Barkley says the best way to guard Nowitzki is to "get a cigarette and a blindfold". Later on in his career, Nowitzki also developed an unorthodox post up game, often backing down his opponents from the free throw line or near the middle of the key, opening up the floor for multiple passing angles should a double team come his way. When defenses guard Nowitzki with one of their biggest men, who is then pulled out to the perimeter, the net effect is that while Nowitzki's own statistics are actually compromised by being out of position to offensively rebound

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Havlicek on the NBA scoring list with 26,426 points. On April 8, 2014, Nowitzki scored his 26,712th point, passing Oscar Robertson to move to the 10th position on the all-time scoring list. Nowitzki led the Mavericks back to the Playoffs where they would face their in state rival San Antonio Spurs in the first round. Dallas lost the series in seven games and the Spurs went on to win the NBA championship. On July 15, 2014, Nowitzki re-signed with the Mavericks to a reported three-year, $25 million contract. He was also reunited with former championship teammate Tyson Chandler, who was

title: Nowitzki. The Perfect Shot

text: Nowitzki. The Perfect Shot Nowitzki. The perfect shot is a German documentary film produced by Leopold Hoesch which concerns the career of Dirk Nowitzki from the second German Basketball League to the NBA. The films premiered on 16 September 2014 in Cologne. The film depicts the relationship between Dirk Nowitzki and his personal coach and mentor Holger Geschwindner. Geschwindner developed Nowitzki's talent with various means including science to improve Nowitzki's jump shots. The film features basketball footage and personalities such as Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant, Yao Ming, Steve Nash, Michael Finley, Jason Kidd, Rick Carlisle Marc Cuban, David Stern, Don

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: close friends. Nowitzki became only the fourth German player in NBA history, following pivots Uwe Blab and Christian Welp and All-Star swingman Detlef Schrempf, who was a 35-year-old veteran of the Seattle SuperSonics when his young compatriot arrived. Nowitzki finished his DJK career as the only Würzburg player to have ever made the NBA. In Dallas, Nowitzki joined a franchise which had last made the playoffs in 1990. Shooting guard Michael Finley captained the squad, supported by center Shawn Bradley (once a number two draft pick) and team scoring leader Cedric Ceballos, an ex-Laker forward. The start of the season

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: we are still good friends." He added: "I surely want to start a family and have kids, but I cannot imagine it happening before I become 30." In 2010, Nowitzki met and began dating Jessica Olsson, sister of twin Swedish footballers Martin Olsson and Marcus Olsson. The couple got married on July 20, 2012, at Nowitzki's home in Dallas. They have a daughter, born in July 2013 and two sons, born in March 2015 and November 2016. Though Nowitzki has considered acquiring U.S. citizenship, he remains a German national. Nowitzki acknowledged close ties to his mentor Holger Geschwindner, whom he

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: rebounds, and 2.9 assists. The Mavericks swept the Memphis Grizzlies, 4–0, with Nowitzki scored a clutch three-pointer in the closing seconds of Game 3 which tied the game and forced overtime. In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Mavericks played against the San Antonio Spurs again. After splitting the first six games, the Mavericks took a 20-point lead in Game 7 before Spur Manu Ginóbili broke a tie at 101 by hitting a 3 with 30 seconds left. On the next play, Nowitzki completed a three-point play, which tied the game at 104. In the end, the Mavericks won, 119–111, and

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: former best-of-five, the Mavericks quickly won the first three games, but then completely lost their rhythm and the next three. In Game 7, Nowitzki hit a clutch three to make it 100–94 with 1:21 left and the Mavericks won 107–95. "This was the most important basket of my career", he later said, "I was not prepared to go on vacation that early." In the next round, the Mavericks met the Kings again, and the series went seven games. Nowitzki delivered a clutch performance in Game 7; he scored 30 points, grabbed 19 rebounds, and played strong defense, leading the Mavericks

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Rico for the last remaining slot. In that crucial match, he scored a game-high 32 points and was vital for the 96–82 win which sent the German basketball team to their first Olympics since the 1992 Summer Olympics. Nowitzki was chosen to be the flag bearer for the German Olympic Team at the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Olympics. Nowitzki led the German team to a tenth-place finish, and averaged 17.0 points, and 8.4 rebounds for the tournament. In 2009, Nowitzki skipped the EuroBasket 2009. In July 2010, he said that he would skip the 2010 FIBA World Championship. In

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Nowitzki ended the game with 37 points and 15 rebounds. Nowitzki commented: "I don't know how the ball went in. Manu hit my hand. It was a lucky bounce." The Mavericks advanced to the Western Conference Finals, where they again met the Suns. Nowitzki scored 50 points to lead the Mavericks to a victory in the crucial Game 5 with the series tied at 2; the Mavericks won the series in six games and faced the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals. A content Nowitzki commented: "We've been a good road team all season long, we believed in each

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Second Team and into his first All-Star Game. After makin the playoffs with a 57–25 record, the Mavericks swept Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round; Nowitzki averaged 33.3 points per game. In the second round, the Mavericks met the Sacramento Kings and rival power forward Chris Webber. After splitting the first two games, Kings coach Rick Adelman changed his defensive scheme, assigning Hedo Türkoğlu to cover Nowitzki. Türkoğlu would use his agility to play Nowitzki tightly, and if the taller Maverick tried to post up Türkoğlu, Webber would double team Nowitzki. In Game 3 in Dallas,

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: sidelines, buying the team a $46 million six-star Boeing 757 to travel in, and increasing franchise revenues to over $100 million. Nowitzki lauded Cuban, stating that he "created the perfect environment... we only have to go out and win." As a result of Nelson's tutelage, Cuban's improvements and his own progress, Nowitzki significantly improved in his second season. Nowitzki averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in 35.8 minutes. He was voted runner-up in the NBA Most Improved Player Award behind Jalen Rose, and made it into the NBA All-Star Sophomore squad. The Nowitzki also was chosen

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: called his best friend. He is also good friends with his ex-teammate Steve Nash. Nash said of playing with Nowitzki, "We were both joining a new club, living in a new city, we were both single and outsiders: this creates a bond ... He made life easier for me and I for him ... Our friendship was something solid in a very volatile world." Nowitzki added, "He would have also become a good friend if we had met at the supermarket." Nowitzki's career has been chronicled in books. "", written by German sports journalists Dino Reisner and Holger Sauer, was

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: by playing in his 75th game of the season, the most by a player in his 20th season in the league. He had season-ending ankle surgery on April 5 after appearing in 77 of the first 78 games. On July 23, 2018, Nowitzki re-signed with the Mavericks for the 2018–19 season. With his season debut on December 13, 2018, he set the NBA record for the most seasons played at the same club (21), breaking a tie with Kobe Bryant, who spent 20 seasons with the Lakers. He also became the 5th player in NBA history to play 21 seasons,

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Mavericks lost the first three games of the series, and Nowitzki fell ill with the flu and later lost a tooth after a collision with Spurs guard Terry Porter. After a Game 4 win, Nowitzki scored 42 points and grabbed 18 rebounds in Game 5, but could not prevent a deciding 105–87 loss. Prior to the 2001–02 NBA season, Nowitzki signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension, which made him the second-highest-paid German athlete after Formula One champion Michael Schumacher. He continued to improve, averaging 23.4 points, 9.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Nowitzki was voted into the All-NBA

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: and its only NBA championship in 2011. Known for his scoring ability, his versatility, his accurate outside shooting, and his trademark fadeaway jump shot, Nowitzki won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award in 2007 and the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award in 2011. Nowitzki's NBA career has been filled with accomplishments. He is the only player ever to play for a single franchise for 21 consecutive seasons. Nowitzki is a 13-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

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: to a series-deciding 112–99 win. In the Western Conference Finals, the Mavericks met the Spurs again. In Game 3, Nowitzki went up for a rebound and Spurs guard Manu Ginóbili collided with his knee, forcing him out of the series. Without their top scorer, the Mavericks still fought valiantly, but lost in six games. After Dallas traded starting center Raef LaFrentz to Boston for forward Antoine Walker, Nelson decided to start Nowitzki at center. To cope with his more physical role, Nowitzki put on of muscle mass over summer, sacrificed part of his agility, and put more emphasis on defense

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: spite of this historic playoffs loss, Nowitzki was named the NBA's regular-season Most Valuable Player and beat his friend and back-to-back NBA MVP Nash with more than 100 votes. He also became the first European player in NBA history to receive the honor. The 2007–08 campaign saw another first-round playoffs exit for Nowitzki and his Mavericks. Despite a mid-season trade that sent veteran NBA All-Star Jason Kidd to Dallas, the Mavericks finished seventh in a highly competitive Western Conference. Nowitzki averaged 23.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, and a career-high 3.5 assists for the season. In the playoffs, they faced rising star

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: more. He initially played handball and tennis, but soon grew tired of being called a "freak" for his height and eventually turned to basketball. After joining the local DJK Würzburg, the 15-year-old attracted the attention of former German international basketball player Holger Geschwindner, who spotted his talent immediately and offered to coach him individually two to three times per week. After getting both the approval of Nowitzki and his parents, Geschwindner put his student through an unorthodox training scheme: he emphasized shooting and passing exercises, and shunned weight training and tactical drills, because he felt it was "unnecessary friction". Furthermore,

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: the best moments of [his] career". In the 2006 FIBA World Championship, Nowitzki led the German team to an eighth place and commented: "It's tough luck. But overall, finishing eighth in the world is not bad." In the EuroBasket 2007, in which the top three teams automatically qualified for the 2008 Olympics, Nowitzki led Germany to a fifth place. He was the leading scorer with 24.0 points per game. The fifth place meant that Germany fell short of direct qualification, but was allowed to participate in the 2008 Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Nowitzki led Germany into a decisive match against Puerto

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: 21st straight regular-season win at home against the Kings. Nowitzki hit a jumper from just inside the three-point line early in the fourth quarter to pass Olajuwon at No. 9, and he finished the night at 26,953 career points. Six days later, Nowitzki became the fourth player in NBA history to eclipse 27,000 career points with the same franchise, joining a prestigious group that includes Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Kobe Bryant. On December 26 against the Los Angeles Lakers, Nowitzki passed Elvin Hayes for eighth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. He went on to pass Moses Malone

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: most significant change to the 2010–11 team roster was the arrival of Tyson Chandler via trade. Nowitzki was injured in the middle of the season, during which the Mavericks recorded their worst losing streak in over a decade. Nowitzki finished the regular season with averages of 23 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists. Despite missing 9 games, Nowitzki was selected to the 2011 All-Star Game, his tenth appearance. The Mavericks concluded the regular season with 57 wins, seeding third behind the Spurs and Lakers for the 2011 NBA Playoffs. During the playoffs, despite their seeding, many predicted that Dallas would

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: shots, he is ranked 8th in active players for defensive win shares as of July 2014. Nowitzki is the sixth player in NBA history, and the first European, to hit the 30,000-point milestone. Apart from being the Mavericks' all-time leader in points, rebounds, field goals, field goal attempts, 3-pointers, 3-point attempts, free throws, and free-throw attempts, Nowitzki has made the NBA All-Star games thirteen times and the All-NBA Teams twelve times. He was voted NBA MVP of the 2006–07 NBA season, becoming the first European player to receive the honor, as well as the MVP of the 2011 NBA Finals.

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: West for the sixth-most free throws in NBA history at 7,160. Four days later, in a 107–101 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, Nowitzki passed West with his 7,161st career free throw made in the second quarter, taking sole possession of sixth in NBA history. On February 5, 2018, in a 104–101 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 50,000 career minutes. On February 28, 2018, in a 111–110 overtime loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nowitzki reached 31,000 career points. On March 4, 2018, in a 126–109 loss to

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: the milestone and one of only three to score all 30,000-plus with one team—the others being Karl Malone (Utah) and Kobe Bryant (Lakers). Following the 2016–17 season, Nowitzki exercised his player option to become a free agent to allow the Mavericks to re-sign him with less money and be able to pursue other free agents. On July 6, 2017, Nowitzki re-signed with the Mavericks on a two-year, $10 million contract (with a team option on the second year). On January 9, 2018, Nowitzki went 7 for 7 from the free throw line against the Orlando Magic, tying him with Jerry

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: 23, Nowitzki scored 17 first-half points (playing only 15 minutes before sitting out the second half) in a 90–88 win over the Clippers. On February 7, 2017 against Portland, Nowitzki moved into 10th place all-time in field goals with 10,517. Also, his two blocked shots against the Trail Blazers gave him 1,200 for this career, the 55th player in NBA history to reach that figure. On March 7, 2017, in a 122–111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to score 30,000 regular-season points. He also became the first international player to reach

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Parish on the all-time scoring list at #20. He then passed Charles Barkley for 19th, and scored his 24,000th point on April 15, 2012 against the Lakers. Nowitzki blocked a shot by the Celtics' Avery Bradley, which was his 1,000th block. He became one of only 3 players in NBA history with at least 1,000 3-pointers and blocks, joining Clifford Robinson and Rasheed Wallace. Nowitzki made his 11th straight All-Star game appearance in Orlando. Nowitzki scored 31 points in the second half against Houston on April 18, 2012, including 21 in the fourth quarter. It marked the third-highest scoring half

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: "Flu Game" against Utah in the 1997 NBA Finals. Dallas went on to win the next two games, with Nowitzki scoring 10 fourth-quarter points in the series-clinching game in Miami, bringing the first championship to the franchise. In the series, Nowitzki scored 62 points total in the six fourth quarters, equaling the combined fourth-quarter output of James and Wade. He was named Finals MVP, joining a list of 10 other players to have been an NBA champion, NBA Finals MVP, an NBA regular season MVP, and a ten-time All-Star. For the 2011 playoffs, Nowitzki averaged 27.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and

title: Silke Nowitzki

text: Silke Nowitzki Silke Nowitzki (born July 12, 1974 in Würzburg, West Germany) is a German former international basketball player. She is the manager of her brother Dirk Nowitzki. In 1993 Silke Nowitzki promoted with the women's team of DJK Würzburg into the first German basketball division. She had her debut for the Germany women's national basketball team in 1995. She participated with DJK Würzburg in the 1998 Ronchetti Cup. In 2001 Silke Nowitzki went to New York and started working for the NBA in International TV. Between 2003 and 2005 she studied business economics in San Diego. In the summer

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Other achievements include winning the 2006 NBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout, being voted European Basketballer of the Year five times in a row by "La Gazzetta dello Sport", and being the leading scorer and MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Championship, and EuroBasket 2005 tournaments. In 2013, Michael Jordan called Nowitzki one of only four players (alongside LeBron James, Tim Duncan, and Kobe Bryant) who could be nearly as successful in his era of basketball. Nowitzki is the only player to record at least 31,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, 1,000 steals, 1,000 blocks and 1,000 3-point field goals. Nowitzki's older

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Nowitzki's close friend Steve Nash left Dallas and returned to the Phoenix Suns as a free agent. During the season, long-time head coach Don Nelson resigned, and his assistant Avery Johnson took on coaching duties. In the midst of these changes, Nowitzki stepped up his game and averaged 26.1 points a game (a career high) and 9.7 rebounds, and his 1.5 blocks and 3.1 assists were also career numbers. In addition, Nowitzki scored at least 10 points in every game and was one of four players who registered at least 1.2 steals and blocks per game. This was also his

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: game with 35 points and passed Reggie Miller on the NBA scoring list with 25,298 points. On December 23, 2013, in a 111–104 victory over the Houston Rockets, Nowitzki finished the game with 31 points and passed Alex English on the NBA scoring list with 25,631 points. On January 29, 2014, Nowitzki scored his 26,000 point in a 115–117 loss to the Houston Rockets. In 35 minutes of play, he recorded 38 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists. On March 12, 2014, in a 108–101 victory over the Utah Jazz, Nowitzki finished the game with 31 points and passed John

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: lost 99–90 against Spain, and did not win a medal. However, with averages of 28.7 points and 9.1 rebounds, Nowitzki led the tournament in both statistics, and was voted to the All-Star team. Back home, the German basketball team attracted up to 3.7 million television viewers, a German basketball record at the time. Nowitzki finally earned his first medal when he led Germany to a bronze medal in the 2002 FIBA World Championship. In the quarter-finals against the Pau Gasol-led Spain, Spain was up 52–46 after three quarters, but then Nowitzki scored 10 points in the last quarter and led

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Weekend in Houston, Nowitzki scored 18 points to defeat Seattle SuperSonics guard Ray Allen and Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas in the Three-Point Shootout contest. Nowitzki paced Dallas to a 60-win season. The team finished with the third-best record in the league, behind the defending 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 confirmed his superstar status during the playoffs as he averaged 27.0 points, 11.7

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: the Mavericks lost, 125–119; Nowitzki scored only 19 points and said: "I simply could not pass Türkoğlu, and if I did, I ran into a double team and committed too many turnovers." In Game 4, Nowitzki missed two potentially game-deciding jump shots, and the Mavericks lost, 115–113, at home. In Game 5, the Mavericks were eliminated, 114-101. However, Nowitzki received a consolation award: the "Gazzetta dello Sport" voted him as "European Basketballer of the Year", his 104 votes lifting him over second-placed Dejan Bodiroga (54) and Stojakovic (50). Before the 2002–03 NBA season, Don Nelson and Mark Cuban put more

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: season, Nowitzki became only the fifth member of the NBA's 50–40–90 Club for players who shot 50% or better from the field, 40% or better on three-pointers, and 90% or better on free-throws in a single season while achieving the NBA league minimum number of makes in each category. Throughout Nowitzki's career, he has responded to the increased pressure of the playoffs by increasing his productivity. As of the end of the 2013–14 season, he had averaged 22.5 points and 8.1 rebounds in the regular season. In the playoffs, he has averaged 25.6 points and 10.1 rebounds, which only Hakeem

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: tying an NBA record. Nowitzki began playing for the German national basketball team in 1997. In his debut tournament, the EuroBasket 1999, the 21-year-old rookie emerged as the main German scorer, but Germany finished seventh and failed to qualify for the 2000 Olympic Games. In the EuroBasket 2001, Nowitzki was top scorer with 28.7 points per game, and narrowly lost the MVP vote to Serbian player Peja Stojaković. Germany reached the semifinals and were close to beating host nation Turkey, but Hedo Türkoğlu hit a 3-point buzzer beater to tie it, and the Turks eventually won in overtime. Germany then

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: to the 2010 All-Star Game, his ninth appearance. The Mavericks faced off against San Antonio once more in the first round of the playoffs, but for the third time in four seasons, they failed to progress to the next round. Nowitzki was the only consistent player throughout the series for the Mavericks, averaging 26.7 points per outing, while Jason Terry, second-leading scorer for the Mavericks, averaged 12.7 points per game compared to his 16.6 regular season. Despite being a free agent, on July 5, 2010, Nowitzki agreed to remain with Dallas by re-signing to a four-year, $80 million deal. The

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: with 40 points in a 132–120 overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers. His 20th career 40-point game was his first since January 2014, and the first by a 37-year-old since Karl Malone in 2000–01. On April 11, in a win over the Utah Jazz that clinched the Mavericks a spot in the playoffs for the 15th time in 16 years, Nowitzki hit four three-pointers, becoming the 15th player in NBA history with at least 1,700 career triples. In Game 4 of the Mavericks' first-round playoff series against the Oklahoma City Thunder, Nowitzki passed Elgin Baylor (3,623 points) for 15th

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: on the NBA's career playoff scoring list. On July 27, 2016, Nowitzki re-signed with the Mavericks. Nowitzki appeared in just three of the Mavericks' first 13 games of the season due to illness and a strained left Achilles tendon. He returned for the 14th game of the season, but with a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, the Mavericks fell to a 2–12 record – their worst start since going 1–23 in 1993–94. He appeared in one more before sitting out 14 straight with further Achilles tendon issues, this time on his right foot. In his return game on December

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: time since Nowitzki's second season, ending their 12-year playoff streak. At the start of the season, the Mavs let go of players they had signed the year before like O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Elton Brand and Darren Collison to make room for the signing of shooting guard Monta Ellis and point guard Devin Harris. On November 12, 2013, in a 105–95 victory over the Washington Wizards, Nowitzki finished the game with 19 points and passed Jerry West on the NBA scoring list with 25,197 points. On November 20, 2013, in a 123–120 victory over the Houston Rockets, Nowitzki finished the

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Antonio. In January 2013, Nowizki and some of his teammates (including Mayo, Brand, Kaman, Carter and then teammate Dahntay Jones) made a pact not to shave their beards until the team reached .500. They were often called "The Beard Bros." On April 14, 2013, after a fade away jumper in a game against the New Orleans Hornets, Nowitzki became the 17th player in NBA history to score 25,000 points. The Mavs went on to win the game, climbing back up to .500 with a 40–40 record and Nowitzki shaved his beard. However the Mavericks missed the playoffs for the first

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: for the NBA All-Star Three Point Shootout, becoming the tallest player ever to participate. While he improved on an individual level, the Mavericks missed the playoffs after a mediocre 40–42 season. In the 2000–01 NBA season, Nowitzki further improved his averages, recording 21.8 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game. As a sign of his growing importance, he joined team captain Finley as only one of two Mavericks to play and start in all 82 games, and had 10 games in which he scored at least 30 points. Nowitzki became the first Maverick ever to be voted into the

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: play in the Nike Hoop Summit, one of the premier talent watches in U.S. men's basketball. In a match between the U.S. talents and the international talents, Nowitzki scored 33 points on 6-of-12 shooting, 14 rebounds and 3 steals for the internationals and outplayed future US NBA players Rashard Lewis and Al Harrington. He impressed with a combination of quickness, ball handling, and shooting range, and from that moment a multitude of European and NBA clubs wanted to recruit him. Projected to be seventh pick in the 1998 NBA draft, Nowitzki passed up many college offers and went directly into

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Geschwindner encouraged Nowitzki to play a musical instrument and read literature to make him a more complete personality. After a year, the coach was so impressed with Nowitzki's progress that he advised him, "You must now decide whether you want to play against the best in the world or just stay a local hero in Germany. If you choose the latter, we will stop training immediately, because nobody can prevent that anymore. But if you want to play against the best, we have to train on a daily basis." After pondering this lifetime decision for two days, Nowitzki agreed to

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: of 25.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.4 assists. He was fourth in the league in scoring, and garnered his fourth All-NBA First Team selection. He also made the 2009 All-Star game, his eighth appearance. Nowitzki led Dallas to a tight finish towards the playoffs, finishing 50–32 for the season (6th in the West), after a slow 2–7 start. In the playoffs, the German led Dallas to an upset win over long-time rival San Antonio (the third seed), winning the first-round series, 4–1. The Mavericks, however, fell short against the Denver Nuggets, 4–1, in the second round, with Nowitzki averaging 34.4

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Chris Paul's New Orleans Hornets, and were eliminated in five games. The playoff loss led to the firing of Avery Johnson as head coach and the eventual hiring of Rick Carlisle. The few positive highlights that season for Nowitzki were his first career triple-double against the Milwaukee Bucks on February 6, 2008, with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists, and on March 8, 2008 (34 points against the New Jersey Nets), when he surpassed Rolando Blackman with his 16,644th point to become the Mavericks' all-time career points leader. The 2008–09 NBA season saw Nowitzki finish with averages

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Warriors in six games, marking the first time a #8 seed had beaten the #1 in a best-of-seven series in NBA history. In the clinching Game 6, Nowitzki shot just 2–13 from the field for only eight points. Defended by Stephen Jackson, Nowitzki averaged nearly five points less than his regular-season average in that series and shot 38.3% from the field as compared to 50.2% during the regular season. He described that loss as a low point in his career: "This series, I couldn't put my stamp on it the way I wanted to. That's why I'm very disappointed." In

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: a baseline jump shot over Garbajosa's outstretched arms with 3.9 seconds to go. The German later commented: "It was indescribable. Garbajosa kind of pushed me towards the baseline so I just went with it." Despite losing the Finals, 78–62, to the Greeks, Nowitzki was the tournament's leading scorer (26.1 per game), and second-leading rebounder (10.6 per game), and shot blocker (1.9 per game), and he was also voted the Most Valuable Player of the tournament. When he was subbed out towards the end of the final, Nowitzki received standing ovation from the crowd, which he later recalled as "one of

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: the Mavs in 4 games. After failing to sign coveted free agents Deron Williams and Steve Nash, the Mavericks retooled their roster by letting go of Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Brendan Haywood, and acquiring younger players such as O. J. Mayo, Darren Collison, as well as veteran big men Chris Kaman and Elton Brand. Nowitzki plans to play out the remainder of his 4-year, 80 million dollar contract that expires in 2014. Nowitzki underwent knee surgery in October 2012 and missed the first 27 games of the season. He returned on December 23, 2012, in a game against San

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: three games in a row. After losing Game 6, Dallas won Game 7 convincingly and won the series even though Nowitzki struggled with his shooting. In the Western Conference Semifinals, the Mavericks met the Phoenix Suns, the new club of Nash. They split the first four games, before the Suns won the last two games. In Game 6, which the Mavericks lost in overtime, Nowitzki was again not at his best: he scored 28 points, but also sank only 9 of his 25 field goal attempts; in addition, he was visibly irritated, repeatedly shouting at his teammates and missing all

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: scored his 10,000th career point in a 137–120 Mavericks win against the Washington Wizards. However, the Mavericks had a subpar 2005 NBA Playoffs campaign. In the first round, Dallas met Houston Rockets scoring champion Tracy McGrady and center Yao Ming, and Nowitzki was expected to average high figures against unheralded forward Ryan Bowen: nba.com described Bowen as "overmatched" versus the German. Instead, Bowen limited Nowitzki to just 21 points in Game 1 and 26 points in Game 2, where the latter hit 8 of 26 shots from the field. The Rockets took a 2–0 series lead before the Mavericks won

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: led a depleted German squad into the Finals, beating title favorites Slovenia in the quarter-finals and Spain in the semi-finals on the way. EuroBasket pundits praised Nowitzki in both matches: against Slovenia (76–62), the forward scored a game high 22 points and commented: "The Slovenians underestimated us. They said we were the team they wanted and that was wrong, you shouldn't do that in the quarter-finals." Against Spain (74–73), Nowitzki scored a game-high 27 points and scored the decisive basket: down by one and with only a few seconds to go, he drove on Spanish forward Jorge Garbajosa, and hit

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: loss in Miami, he tore a tendon in his left middle finger; however, MRIs were negative, and Nowitzki vowed that the injury would not be a factor. In Game 2, he led a Dallas rally from an 88–73 fourth-quarter deficit, capped by a driving left-handed layup over Bosh to tie the series at 1. Miami took a 2–1 series lead after Nowitzki missed a potential game-tying shot at the end of Game 3. Despite carrying a 101 °F fever in Game 4, he hit the winning basket to tie the series yet again at 2, evoking comparisons to Michael Jordan's

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: five of his shots in OT. Prior to the 2005–06 NBA season, veteran Mavericks captain Michael Finley was waived over the summer, and now Nowitzki was the last player remaining from the Mavericks' "Big Three" of Nash, Finley, and himself. Nowitzki blossomed as the sole franchise player, averaging 26.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. Not only was this his third 2,000-point season, but his scoring average of 26.6 points was highest ever by a European. He improved his shooting percentage, setting personal season records in field goals (48.0%), three-point shots (40.6%) and free throws (90.1%). During the 2006 All-Star

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: emphasis on defense, specializing in a zone anchored by prolific shotblockers Raef LaFrentz and Shawn Bradley. The Mavericks won their first eleven games, and Finley, Nash and Nowitzki were voted "Western Conference Players of the Month" in November 2002. In that season, Nowitzki lifted his averages again, now scoring 25.1 points, 9.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. He led the Mavericks to a franchise-high 60–22 record, which earned them the third seed: as a result, the Mavericks had to play sixth seed Portland Trail Blazers in the 2003 NBA Playoffs. Now playing in a best-of-seven series instead of the

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Award. Nowitzki is the sixth player to achieve over 30,000 regular-season points and is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history. He is the first Maverick voted onto an All-NBA Team and holds several all-time Mavericks franchise records. On December 10, 2012, he became the first non-American player to receive the Naismith Legacy Award. As of the end of the 2017–18 season, Nowitzki stood sixth on the list of National Basketball Association career scoring leaders with 31,187 points. Nowitzki's career in international play is also noteworthy. He led the German national basketball team to a bronze medal in the 2002

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: shots in the final three games as the Mavericks lost the Finals series, 4–2, to the Heat. The German was criticized by ESPN as "clearly ... not as his best this series" and remarked: "That was a tough loss (in Game 3) and that really changed the whole momentum of the series. ... After that, they got confidence. They played a lot better afterwards." The 2006–07 season was the year Nowitzki was named the league's Most Valuable Player. He shot a career-best 50.2% from the field, and recorded averages of 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, and 3.4 assists and led the

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Germany to a 70–62 win. In the semi-finals, his team played against the Argentinian squad led by Manu Ginóbili, but despite leading, 74–69, four minutes from the end and despite Argentina losing Ginobili to a foot injury, the South Americans won, 86–80. However, the Germans won 117–94 against New Zealand in the consolation finals and won bronze, and Nowitzki, as the tournament's top scorer, (24.0 points per game), was elected the tournament MVP. Back in Germany, over 4 million television viewers followed the games, an all-time record in German basketball history. The EuroBasket 2003 proved to be a major disappointment

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Olajuwon, Bob Pettit, and Elgin Baylor have managed to do. In the most pressure packed games, such as playoff elimination games he averages 28.8 points, 11.8 rebounds. He has had 14 elimination games where he scored 30 or more points, which ties him with Jerry West for most all time. Of the top 100 elimination game performances in the last 20 years, Nowitzki has had the best performances in 8 of them, more than any other player in the NBA in that same time frame. His shooting accuracy combined with his long seven-foot frame and unique shooting mechanics, such as

title: Dirk Nowitzki: German Wunderkind

text: 1998 NBA Draft. Shell-shocked by the culture shock, facing a longer season, more physical opponents, and a relatively foreign culture, he struggled in America, and even considered returning to Europe, until Nelson and Geschwindner talked him out of it. Becoming a regular player, a starter, and later an All-Star, the book presents the eventful playoff campaigns of the Mavericks until 2004. The book ends in the middle of the 2004-05 NBA season. The book mostly follows a chronological structure, and devotes inserts for many people close to Nowitzki, such as his parents Helga and Jörg-Werner Nowitzki, who are both retired

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: having a release point above his head, makes contesting his jump shots very difficult. Before the start of the 2011 NBA Finals, LeBron James called Nowitzki's one-legged fadeaway the second most unstoppable move ever, only behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook. Additionally, Nowitzki can put the ball down and drive with it from the perimeter, like few have been able to do with his size. NBA.com lauds his versatility by stating: "The 7–0 forward who at times mans the pivot can strike fear in an opponent when he corrals a rebound and leads the break or prepares to launch a three-point bomb."

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: points per game and led DJK again to second place after the regular season, but could not help his team gain promotion. In the following 1997–98 Second Bundesliga season, Nowitzki finished his "Abitur" (German A-levels), but had to do compulsory military service in the Bundeswehr which lasted from September 1, 1997 to June 30, 1998; The 18-year-old, who had grown to tall, made progress, leading DJK to a 36:4 point total (in Germany, a victory gives 2:0 points and a loss 0:2) and ending as leading scorer with 28.2 points per game. In the promotion playoffs, DJK finally broke its

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: a 118–108 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. He also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and passed former teammate Shawn Marion for 15th on the all-time career rebounding list. On December 12, in a loss to the Washington Wizards, he moved past Jason Richardson for 16th all-time in three-point shots made, finishing the game with 1,609 career three-pointers. On December 23, Nowitzki moved past Shaquille O'Neal into sixth place on the NBA's career scoring list, then made the go-ahead basket with 19.2 seconds left in overtime to help the Mavericks defeat the Brooklyn Nets, 119–118. On January 12, in an

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: Mavericks to a franchise-high 67 wins, which meant Dallas earned the first seed of the 2007 NBA Playoffs. He averaged 50% from the field, 40% for three pointers, and 90% from the free throw line becoming, at the time, only the fourth player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club. Nowitzki was touted as the overwhelming favorite for the Most Valuable Player award, and was expected to lead the Mavericks to an easy win against the eighth-seed Golden State Warriors, despite the Warriors having won all three regular-season meetings against Dallas. However, the Mavericks ended up losing to the

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: slang. He only averaged 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds in 20.4 minutes of playing time. Looking back, Nowitzki said: "I was so frustrated I even contemplated going back to Germany. ... [the jump from Second Bundesliga to the NBA] was like jumping out of an airplane hoping the parachute would somehow open." The Mavericks only won 19 of their 50 games and missed the playoffs. On January 4, 2000, team owner Ross Perot, Jr. sold the Mavericks to Internet billionaire Mark Cuban for $280 million. Cuban quickly invested into the Mavericks and restructured the franchise, attending every game at the

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: for seventh place on the NBA's all-time scoring list on January 5, 2015 in a 96–88 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets. He recorded his 10,000th career rebound on March 24 against the San Antonio Spurs, and scored his 28,000th career point on April 1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Mavericks finished the regular season as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference with a record of 50–32. They faced the Houston Rockets in the first round of the playoffs and lost the series in five games. On November 11, 2015, Nowitzki scored a season-high 31 points in

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: lose in the first round to Portland, and after blowing a 23-point fourth-quarter lead in Game 4 to even the series at 2–2, the Mavericks appeared ready for another postseason collapse. However, Dallas won the final two games to advance. They then swept the two-time defending champion Lakers in the semifinals in Phil Jackson's final year as an NBA coach. In the Conference Finals, they faced the Oklahoma City Thunder and their All-NBA duo of Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. In Game 1, Nowitzki scored 48 points while shooting 12/15 from the field while setting an NBA record of 24

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: points, 11.6 rebounds, and 4 assists in the series. The Mavericks finished the 2009–10 NBA season as the second seed for the 2010 NBA Playoffs—it was their 10th consecutive season with at least 50 regular season wins. Notable additions to the squad were multiple All-Stars Shawn Marion and Caron Butler, with the latter coming in the second half of the season. On January 13, 2010, Nowitzki became the 34th player in NBA history—and the first European—to hit the 20,000-point milestone, while ending the regular season with averages of 25 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1 block. He was selected

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: or make an easy close-range basket, the rest of the team becomes more offensively potent with the defense having to be spread across the floor. Often, this creates mismatches that his teammates can exploit. The Mavericks system and international play exposed him to an open passing game, making him dangerous as a point forward and post playmaker as well. Nowitzki averages just over one block per game and never made an All-Defense Team. However, playing more around the perimeter took him out of position where a typical power forward would be detracted from his overall defensive stats. Despite rarely blocking

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: by a Dallas player in franchise history. The 21 points in the fourth quarter also represented Nowitzki's third-highest scoring quarter of his career. Carrying the load of the Mavericks, Nowitzki led his team in scoring 45 times. On March 30, he led the Mavs down from 15 points, including a game winner, against the Magic. Nowitzki's streak of 11 seasons with 1,500 points came to an end after scoring 1,342 in the shortened NBA season. The Mavs clinched the seventh spot in the West, and were matched against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 NBA Playoffs. The Thunder swept

title: Dirk Nowitzki

text: consecutive free throws made in a game as well as most free throws in a game without a miss. In Game 4, with Dallas up, 2–1, Nowitzki scored 40 points to rally his team from a 99–84 deficit in the fourth quarter with 5 minutes left and eventually win, 112–105, in OT to take a 3–1 series lead. Dallas overcame another fourth-quarter deficit in Game 5 to win the Western Conference Title. In the 2011 NBA Finals, Dallas once again faced the Heat, which had acquired All-Stars LeBron James and Chris Bosh before the season began. During the Game 1

title: Dirk Wellham

text: players gate. A piece of the gate broke off and injured a bystander. Wellham apologised for the incident. Wellham previously served as Deputy Principal (Academic) at Anglican Church Grammar School. He has been appointed as Principal of Caloundra City Private School, commencing 2013. He received a PhD from Deakin University in 2009. Dirk Wellham Dirk MacDonald Wellham (born 13 March 1959) is a former Australian cricketer who played in 6 Tests and 17 ODIs from 1981 to 1987. Dirk Wellham is one of three players to score a century in both his first class and Test debuts. He was the

title: Kristaps Porziņģis

text: In 2015, Porziņģis was named the Latvian Rising Star of the Year. In 2017, Porziņģis played for Latvia at EuroBasket 2017, where he averaged 23.6 points and 5.9 rebounds assists per game. Latvia was eliminated in the quarterfinals by Slovenia, losing 103–97. Porziņģis has been compared to Dirk Nowitzki, with the pair having both been groomed in Europe before entering the NBA. Both Porziņģis and Nowitzki are seven-foot-plus players who are comfortable anywhere on the front line and can both shoot from the outside. During his rookie season, Kevin Durant dubbed Porziņģis a basketball "unicorn" because of his rare combination

title: Dirk Kuyt

text: his homeland and the developing world. One of the ways the foundation raises money is by selling DK-branded clothes. Kuyt's father, also named Dirk, died of cancer on 29 June 2007. "* Other – Play-off games Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt (Dutch: Dirk Kuijt; ; born 22 July 1980) is a Dutch former professional footballer who last played for Quick Boys. Originally starting out as a striker, he played much of his career as a winger. Kuyt began his professional career with Utrecht in 1998 and quickly became part of its first team. He spent five years at the club, and

title: Tamara Nowitzki

text: she was coached by Brendan Keogh. In 2000, she was awarded the Australian Sports Medal and in 2013 she was recognised at the Dickson Citizen of the Year. In 2012 Nowitzki released her autobiography 'No Ordinary Girl' to reduce the stigma of dopa-responsive dystonia and mental illness. Personal website Tamara Nowitzki Tamara Leigh Nowitzki (born 22 May 1976) is a Paralympic swimming competitor from Australia and a silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.. She was born in Brisbane. At the age of 13 months she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Nowitzki attended Ferny Grove High School. She was diagnosed

title: Tamara Nowitzki

text: Tamara Nowitzki Tamara Leigh Nowitzki (born 22 May 1976) is a Paralympic swimming competitor from Australia and a silver medalist at the 2000 Sydney Paralympics.. She was born in Brisbane. At the age of 13 months she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy. Nowitzki attended Ferny Grove High School. She was diagnosed with Dopa-responsive dystonia when she was 25 years old. At the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, she finished fifth in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB7. Nowitzki went on to win a silver medal at the 2000 Sydney Games in the Women's 100 m Breaststroke SB7 event. At the 2000 Paralympics