- The Dirk Nowitzki appreciation thread -

[rikhardur]

Dirk won the prestigious Euroscar from Gazzetta dello Sport and hopes to pass Sabonis:

Finally, he has no doubts on the next challenge: “This is my sixth Europlayer award, I want to get one more, beat [Arvydas] Sabonis and be no. 1 in [Gazetta della Sport’s all-time] rankings.”

http://www.ballineurope.com/us-basketball/nba/dirk-nowitzki-europlayer-year-interview-angela-merkel-arvydas-sabonis-7375/

He expects to play two more years:

On his future, Dirk said that “I’ll play for at least two more years. Afterward, I’d like to stay in the basketball world. I see myself as a teacher to the kids, but I still don’t know if I’ll do it here in Texas or in Germany.”

http://www.ballineurope.com/us-basketball/nba/dirk-nowitzki-europlayer-year-interview-angela-merkel-arvydas-sabonis-7375/

[qiangdade]

dirk doesnt believe he should be an allstar

[rikhardur]

dirk doesnt believe he should be an allstar

There's hardly anyone like Dirk in modern sports. A true example.

[qiangdade]

There's hardly anyone like Dirk in modern sports. A true example.

word!

[rikhardur]

Dirk's back: season high 33 points (4/7 3pt) as the Mavs beat the Wolves.

[rikhardur]

Olympic Legends - Dirk Nowitzki

BEIJING (Olympics) - Germany's Dirk Nowitzki made his one and only appearance at an Olympic Games in 2008.

An NBA superstar and league MVP in 2007, the versatile 2.13m Nowitzki fulfilled a lifelong dream of playing at the Summer Games by leading the national team to one of three places at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Athens, Germany.

The Germans took the last place on offer for Beijing with a 96-82 victory over Puerto Rico in Athens, Greece.

Nowitzki was brilliant in that game, scoring 32 points and corralling nine rebounds.

"Just a lot of pressure coming off after so many years of trying," Nowitzki said of what it felt like to at long last reach the Olympics.

"We didn't make it to Sydney (2000), we didn't make it to Athens (2004), this group put in so much hard work over the years.

"It's just an amazing feeling."

The experience became even sweeter for Nowitzki because Germany made him their flagbearer at the Opening Ceremony.

Upon being told of the honor, Nowitzki said: “I will experience something astonishing.

“I never thought I would be chosen to carry the flag but maybe it's happened because a lot of athletes identify with me."

Nowitzki tried to carry the team in the basketball tournament in Beijing.

He had 24 points and 17 rebounds in a crucial game against hosts China but the effort wasn't enough for the Germans as they fell, 59-55.

A controversial play late in the fourth quarter sealed Germany's fate and Nowitzki was right at the center of it.

The Dallas Mavericks superstar was driving in for a go-ahead lay-up and thought he was fouled but instead was called for a charge.

Yi Jianlian scored at the other end for a three-point China advantage.

With 18 seconds left, Nowitzki put up an attempt from the top of the key but the ball rimmed out and China rebounded before holding on for a narrow win.

The United States then beat Germany in their last Preliminary Round game to end their Olympic participation while China, thanks to the win over Germany, progressed to the last eight.

Nowitzki decided to stay away from the national team the following two summers but returned last year at the age of 33 and played at EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania.

In the expanded 24-team tournament, Germany came up short of the Quarter-Finals and saw their hopes of playing at the London Games disappear.

Nowitzki's fame has not faded, though, because of that setback.

If anything, his legend has grown the past several months.

Last season in the NBA, he led the Mavericks to their first championship and Nowitzki was named Finals MVP.

In February, Nowitzki was named 2011 FIBA Europe Player of the Year.

http://london2012.fiba.com/pages/eng/fe/12/olym/event-guide/History/p/nid/50636/Olympic_Basketball_legends_bio.html

[rikhardur]

Dirk is now the 20th NBA all-time scorer, passing Robert Parish. He scored 26 pts and grabbed 16 rebs last night.

[rikhardur]

After four consecutive losses, Nowitzki turned on the ReDirkulous mode and scored a season-high 40 points to go along with 6 rebounds. Mavs beat the Jazz.

[rikhardur]

Pay special attention to this here.

[rikhardur]

33 + 11 + 6

[rikhardur]

31 points for Dirk as he moved into 19th place on the All-Time scoring list passing Charles Barkley.

[rikhardur]

Want clutch?

[Khalid80]

Dirk Nowitzki may have gotten married in Kenya

Did Dirk Nowitzki get married? It's hard to tell, between his tweets about NBC's much-criticized Olympic coverage, and the Dallas Mavericks' refusal to comment on his marital status. Until we know for sure, we do have this pretty cool picture of Dirk and his fiancée — presumably in Kenya — at some sort of ceremony.

Newstime Africa, via I Am a GM, has their take, currently unconfirmed by Dirk (who is still tweeting about the Olympics):

German superstar Dirk Nowitzki proposed to his long-time girlfriend Jessica Olsson during Valentine's Day, and zipped it up over the weekend when he officially married Jessica in a traditional African wedding ceremony held in Kenya. The Dallas Mavericks superstar said that the wedding is the first of the two wedding ceremonies that they've planned to stage in their programme. "This is one of two wedding set-ups that we have planned to undertake and the ceremony has been very beautiful," said Dirk. The seven foot tall NBA player delivered the bride price as it's expected in a befitting traditional African ceremony in Kenya.

Considering that Dirk's quote about the "beautiful" ceremony hasn't shown up anywhere else, we're left to be a little dubious. But Nowitzki did propose to his fiancée in February, and with the NBA's training camp still two months away, it feels like as good enough time as any to tie the knot. And, with Nowitzki's considerable compensation culled from his 14 years with the Mavericks, it seems more than reasonable that Nowitzki would work up a two-part wedding jaunt, with one trip to his fiancée's native Kenya and presumably a move to Germany to follow.

Of course, this could all be a giant mix-up, or Dirk having some fun with Newstime Africa. Or, the start of a lifetime of wedded bliss.

Either result, it's a pretty cool picture Future or Present Mr. and Mrs. Dirk Nowitzki.

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nba-ball-dont-lie/dirk-nowitzki-may-gotten-married-kenya-204547013--nba.html;_ylt=AljAKfpzJT9VKbw9JL03Z3m8vLYF;_ylu=X3oDMTN1bWFmM2tnBG1pdANGRUFUVVJFRCBNZWdhdHJvbiBOQkEEcGtnAzI2NzI4NWFmLTNiYjQtMzJlNy04ZGQ4LTU2MGQzMTRkNzZmZARwb3MDNgRzZWMDbWVnYXRyb24EdmVyAzE4MjFlMjYwLWRhOWQtMTFlMS05NWJmLTdlMjY2ZmMzMjc4MA--;_ylg=X3oDMTFoNjVvZWVyBGludGwDdXMEbGFuZwNlbi11cwRwc3RhaWQDBHBzdGNhdANuYmEEcHQDc2VjdGlvbnM-;_ylv=3

Dirk married.jpg

Well at least I hope she doesn't have issues like Nowitzki's-ex who had been arrested on fraud charges and robbery if this news story is true.

[CKR13]

Dirk just laughed this off. It's the pre-season after all.

[rikhardur]