Name: Dirk Werner Nowitzki
Born: June 19, 1978 in Wurzburg, Germany
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Position: Power Forward
Height: 7'0"
Weight: 245 lbs.
Nicknames: Dirk Diggler, Dirkules, Disco Dirk
High School: Rontgen Gymnasium in Wurzburg, Germany
Drafted: 1998; 1st round, 9th pick by the Milwaukee Bucks (traded to the Dallas Mavericks along with Pat Garrity for the rights to Robert Traylor)
Teams Played For In Career:
- Dallas Mavericks (1998-Present)
MAJOR AWARDS AND HONORS:
Most Valuable Player
- 2006-07 NBA Most Valuable Player
NBA All-Star
- 2001-02 All-Star
- 2002-03 All-Star
- 2003-04 All-Star
- 2004-05 All-Star
- 2005-06 All-Star
- 2006-07 All-Star
All-NBA Teams
- 2000-01 All-NBA Third Team
- 2001-02 All-NBA Second Team
- 2002-03 All-NBA Second Team
- 2003-04 All-NBA Third Team
- 2004-05 All-NBA First Team
- 2005-06 All-NBA First Team
- 2006-07 All-NBA First Team
Background:
Nowitzki was first noticed in 1997 when a team of star players that included Charles Barkley and Scottie Pippen went to Germany and played an exhibition game against a German youth team for which Nowitzki played.
Dirk is the tallest player to win the NBA All-Star Three-Point Shootout contest in 2006. He wore the number 14 early on in his basketball career, but Robert Pack wore that number when Dirk joined the Mavericks, so he wore number 41 instead.
His Career Thus Far:
It took a couple of years for Dirk's game to develop, but he is now one of the best players in the league, winning the NBA MVP award for the 2006-07 season. He is part of a group of players that give the league a true international flavor. Dirk has a reliable three-point shot, a nose for the basket resulting in frequent trips to the free-throw line, and the ability to create an open shot.
In 2005-06, Nowitzki and the Mavericks faced the Miami Heat led by Shaquille O'Neal and Dwyane Wade in the NBA Finals. Nowitzki and his team fell short of achieving their championship goal and would have to be satisfied with a Western Conference championship. In the following season, the Mavericks were upset in the first round of the NBA Playoffs by the Golden State Warriors, one of the greatest upsets in NBA history, especially considering the Mavericks regular season record of 67-15.
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