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Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a former professional basketball player from Germany who currently serves as a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association.
Birth, Age, Education & Family
Dirk Nowitzki was born on June 19, 1978, in Würzburg, West Germany. His parents were professional sportsmen, which helped him become one of the best players.
Similarly, Jorg Werner, his father, played handball for the German national team.
Dirk Nowitzki finished his primary school at Würzburg’s Röntgen High School. However, there is insufficient information available on his secondary and university studies.
Roland Mayer is her husband. She is also a retired German national basketball player and her brother’s former manager.
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Professional career
Dirk Nowitzki is a well-known name in NBA basketball and is regarded as one of the most skilled and successful European players.
He began his basketball career when he was 13 years old. He also played for DJK Wurzburg, a second-division German professional team, at the age of 16 owing to his exceptional natural skill and performance.
In 1998, Nowitzki grabbed the attention of NBA scouts after scoring 33 points in an exhibition game in San Antonio, Texas. He led an international team of 19-year-olds to an upset victory over American high school stars.
The Italian sports publication Gazzetta Dello Sport named him Eurostar European Basketball Player of the Year for five years in a row, from 2002 to 2006, and again in 2011.
Following that, he was selected ninth overall in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks.
Nowitzki struggled to adjust to the NBA level of play during his first season.
Mavericks
When Nowitzki joined the Mavericks in 1998, the team had gone eight seasons without making the playoffs.
However, in 2000–01, he helped Dallas win 53 games and make the playoffs. And it was the first of 11 straight 50-win seasons for the Mavericks, one of the longest streaks in league history.
Furthermore, he guided Dallas to their first NBA finals appearance in 2005–06. (a six-game loss to the Miami Heat).
Similarly, in 2006–07, he averaged 24.6 points per game while leading the league in scoring. As a consequence, he was named the NBA’s Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 2007.
He maintained his stellar play in the five years that followed the Mavericks’ championship.
In November 2014, he scored his 26,947th career NBA point, passing Hakeem Olajuwon as the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history.
Because of his scoring abilities, quickness, accurate outside shooting, and iconic baseline jumper jump shot, Nowitzki was named NBA Most Valuable Player in 2007 and NBA Finals Most Valuable Player in 2011.
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Dirk Nowitzki’s career decline
In March 2017, he became the eighth player in league history to reach 30,000 career points.
Similarly, his club went 24–58 in 2017–18, and Nowitzki averaged only 12 points per game, his lowest scoring average since his freshman season.
Similarly, his output with Dallas was reduced in 2018–19, resulting in an average of 15 minutes of playing time and 7 points per game. As a result, Nowitzki announced his retirement at the end of the season.
His NBA career concluded with 31 560 points, the sixth-highest total in league history.
Retirement
He was the sixth player in NBA history to play for more than 20 seasons, according to NBA records. Dirk in his final home game of the season, when the Mavericks defeated the Phoenix Suns 120–109 on April 9.
Dirk scored 30 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and announced his retirement in an emotional ceremony attended by Charles Barkley, Larry Bird, Shawn Kemp, Scottie Pippen, and Detlef Schrempf, who gave him a congratulatory speech.
He was never certain about quitting; it was only when his lower body began to bother him late in the season that he considered retiring.
Following that, Dirk participated in his final NBA game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in a 105–94 loss against the Spurs.
Prior to that, on March 18, 2019, Dirk passed Wilt Chamberlain’s 31,419 point total to become the sixth-highest scoring player of all time.
Injuries
Nowitzki missed just one game during the 2009-10 season due to a collision with Houston’s Carl Landry.
The event was unusual in that the impact buried parts of Landry’s teeth into Nowitzki’s elbow. It took the Mavericks medical staff more than 30 minutes to mop up the blood on the ground and remove the tooth bits.
Dirk later developed knee soreness in his 13th NBA season during a win over the Thunder in late December. He recovered in time to lead the squad to the franchise’s second Finals appearance, but injuries struck once more.
Dirk tore his left index finger’s extensor tendon. As a result, he had to wear a splint for the rest of the series.
Achievements and Awards
In NBA
- NBA Finals MVP: 2011
- NBA Most Valuable Player: 2007
- 13× NBA All-Star: 2002–2012, 2014–2015
- 12× All-NBA Team: 2001–2012
- 4× First Team: 2005–2007, 2009
- 5× Second Team: 2002–2003, 2008, 2010–2011
- 3× Third Team: 2001, 2004, 2012
- Three-Point Shootout Champion: 2006
- NBA Shooting Stars champion: 2010
- Ranked 7th in all-time-scoring
German national basketball team
- FIBA World Championship 2002: MVP, Bronze Medal, Top point scorer throughout the tournament.
- EuroBasket 2005: MVP, silver medal, top point scorer throughout the all-tournament team
- FIBA World Championship 2006, 2001EuroBasket, EuroBasket 2007: top point scorer throughout the all-tournament team
- Goldener Ehrenring (golden honorary ring) of the DBB (German Basketball Federation): 2007
- The second highest point scorer in the history of EuroBasket.
- Top scorer in German national basketball team history (2912 points at 141 international games)
- Leader of the national German basketball team named Outstanding German Team of the Year: 2005
Other achievements and highlights
- MVP in German League in 1999
- Became 6× Euroscar player: 2002–2006, 2011
- Won 2× FIBA Europe Player of the Year Award: 2005, 2011
- Won Mr. Europa: 2005
- Gained 5× All-Europeans Player of the Year: 2005–2008, 2011
- Became German national flag bearer at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China
- Achieved Best NBA Player ESPY Award: 2011
- Gained Best Male Athlete ESPY Award: 2011
- Won Outstanding Team ESPY Award with the Dallas Mavericks: 2011
- Chosen as Sports Illustrator NBA All-Decade Second Team (2000–2009)
- Silbernes Lorbeerblatt: 2011
- Became German Sports Personality of the Year in 2011
- Dirk positioned 55 in SLAM Magazine’s 500 greatest NBA players of all-time list in 2011
- Won Naismith Legacy Award: 2012
- Achieved Magic Johnson Award: 2014
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Net worth
Dirk Nowitzki is a retired German-born professional basketball player with a net worth of $140 million.
In terms of salary, he is the sixth-highest paid NBA player of all time.
Social media presence
Twitter 3.5 million Followers
Facebook: 2,783,721 Followers
Instagram: 1 million Followers
Relationship
Dirk married Jessica Olsson in a traditional ceremony at Nanyuki in 2012, and they later married formally at the family’s home in Dallas, Texas.
He first met her in February 2010 at a charity event for the Sports for Education and Economic Growth (SEED) project. She worked at the Dallas Art Gallery at the time.
They currently have three children, Malaika Nowitzki, Max Nowitzki, and Morris Nowitzki.
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Height, and Weight
Dirk is a retired German basketball player who was born in Germany. Returning to his height, he is 7’0″ (2.13 m), or (213 cm).
Similarly, his weight is 245 lb (111 kg), which suits his height exactly, making him the coolest basketball player.
FAQ’s
Who are Dirk Nowitzki’s closest friends?
Nowitzki kept in touch with his mentor, Holger Geschwindner, whom he considered his greatest buddy.
Is Dirk Nowitzki eligible for the Hall of Fame?
Dirk Nowitzki’s Hall of Fame career is founded on his ability to shoot. As a result, it’s no surprise that his name is all over the NBA record scoring list.
What will Dirk Nowitzki do next?
The champion, 42, is currently enjoying time with his family. So he’s doing stuff he’s never done before.
Quick facts
| Real/Full Name | Dirk Nowitzki |
| Gender | Male |
| Famous name | Dirk Werner Nowitzki |
| Nickname | Dirk Diggler Dunking Deutschman The German Wunderkind The Terminator |
| Date of Birth | June 19, 1978 |
| Age | 43 Years Old |
| Residence | Dallas, Würzburg, Bavaria |
| Place of Birth | Würzburg, West Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Current living city | Würzburg, Germany |
| Height | 7’0″, (2.13 m), or (213 cm) |
| Weight | 245 lb (111 kg) |
| Eye Color | Grey |
| Hair Color | Brown |
| Zodiac Sign | Gemini |
| Occupation | German professional basketball player |
| Drafted by | The Milwaukee Bucks with the No. 9 overall pick in round 1 of the 1998 NBA Draft |
| Position | Power Forward |
| Jersey Number | 41 (Mavericks) |
| NBA Seasons | 21 (15 Playoffs) |
| NBA Titles | 1 Championship |
| All-Star: | 14 times |
| Net worth | $140 million |
| Salary | $22.7 Million |
| Father’s Name | Jorg Werner |
| Mother’s Name | Helga Nowitzki |
| Marital Status | Yes |
| Married Year | 2012 |
| Wife Name | Jessica Olsson |
| Children | Malaika Nowitzki, Max Nowitzki, Morris Nowitzki |
| Sister | Silke Nowitzki |
| Ex-girlfriend | Sybille Gere dated for 10 years |
| School/ college | Röntgen High School Würzburg |
| Religion | CHRISTIAN |
| Ethnicity/Race | White |
| Team plays | Dallas Mavericks |
