- Dirk Nowitzki: Everything about career, assets, titles and private life
- Dirk Nowitzki is the sixth best scorer in NBA history
- In 2011, Nowitzki won the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks
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Dirk Nowitzki: Where and when was he born?
Dirk Werner Nowitzki was born on June 19, 1978 in Würzburg. He is the child of a real sports family. His mother and sister are former national basketball players, his father was a professional handball player and played in the second Bundesliga.
Dirk Nowitzki: When did he start playing basketball?
Dirk Nowitzki played various sports during his childhood before he started playing basketball at the age of 13. First in the school team, then at the DJK Würzburg (now Würzburg Baskets), Nowitzki showed his extraordinary talent early on. By chance, at the age of 15, he met his future mentor and supporter, Holger Geschwindner. Nowitzki trained with him on his skills and constantly improved. He continued to work individually with Geschwindner throughout his career.
Dirk Nowitzki: How did he get into the NBA?
At the age of 16, Dirk Nowitzki joined the first team of DJK Würzburg, which was then based in the 2nd Bundesliga. In the 1997/98 season, the club achieved promotion to the Basketball Bundesliga with a strong Nowitzki. He was the team’s best basket hunter and rebounder during the season.
At a sponsored game in San Antonio, Nowitzki stood out among a junior selection of international players playing against U.S. talent. After he was then able to impress at a European Youth Championship in Italy, the Milwaukee Bucks selected him ninth in the 1998 NBA draft.
Dirk Nowitzki: How did his career in the NBA go?
The Milwaukee Bucks traded Dirk Nowitzki to the Dallas Mavericks immediately after the draft. However, it was difficult for him to live up to the great expectations that the media and fans had of him in the 1998/99 season. It wasn’t until his second season that he made his breakthrough. The NBA then voted him second for the Most Improved Player of the season award.
Afterwards, Nowitzki regularly played well and developed more and more into a top performer and figurehead for the Mavs. As a result, he set numerous franchise records. In the 2005/06 season he won the Western Conference with Dallas and then made it to the NBA finals in the playoffs. However, Nowitzki and Co. lost to the Miami Heat and were defeated 2-4 in the best-of-seven series.
Dirk Nowitzki: When did he become NBA champion?
The following years were marked by recurring disappointments and repeated early playoff eliminations. It wasn’t until the 2010/11 season that things were more successful again. The Mavericks won the Western Conference again and were able to eliminate numerous favored opponents such as the Oklahoma City Thunder around Kevin Durant and the Los Angeles Lakers around Kobe Bryant on the way to the final. The Heat were waiting again in the finals, now reinforced with superstar LeBron James. Nowitzki was temporarily weakened by a finger injury and fever. Nevertheless, he contributed significantly to the team’s success in the finals. Dallas finally prevailed with a 4-2 win. “Dirkules”, as Nowitzki is also called, subsequently received the award as Finals MVP.
In the years after the championship, Nowitzki and Co. were no longer able to match their brilliant performances and sank more and more into the mediocrity of the NBA.
Dirk Nowitzki: How many times did he win MVP?
Dirk Nowitzki was awarded the MVP title as the league’s best player after the 2006/07 regular season. He was also named Finals MVP in the 2011 NBA title.
Dirk Nowtzki: How many points did he score in the NBA?
Dirk Nowitzki is currently the sixth most successful scorer in NBA history with 31,560 points in 1,522 games.
Dirk Nowtzki: When did he end his career?
Dirk Nowtzki ended his active career with the Dallas Mavericks at the age of 40 after the 2018/19 season.
Dirk Nowitzki: Is he in the NBA Hall of Fame?
Dirk Nowitzki was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023. To date, he is the only German basketball player to have received this honor.
Dirk Nowitzki: How much is his net worth?
According to media reports, Dirk Nowitzki earned $255 million in salary alone from his club during his career. That would make him the sixth highest-paid NBA professional of all time. Additional advantage: There is no income tax in Texas, so the tax burden was lower than for many other professionals. Over the years, however, he has repeatedly foregone an even higher salary so that the Mavericks have more leeway to sign good teammates. He also contributed to the team’s success off the pitch.
In addition to his playing salary, Nowitzki earned a lot of money from several advertising contracts during his playing days. The partnership with the bank “ING-Diba” is particularly well known to the general public. It is now designed for life.
Today Nowitzki is said to have a net worth of $140 million.
Dirk Nowitzki: What titles and successes can he boast?
Individual awards and records (selection):
- NBA Regular Season MVP 2007
- NBA Finals MVP 2011
- 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee
- 12 x All-NBA-Team
- 14 x NBA All Star
- Most games played for the Dallas Mavericks
- Most points for the Dallas Mavericks
- Most rebounds for the Dallas Mavericks
- MVP of the 2002 World Cup
- MVP of the 2005 European Championships
- Best basket hunter in the German national team: 3,045 points in 153 games
- Germany’s Athlete of the Year 2011
- Silver Bay Leaf 2011
- Federal Cross of Merit on ribbon
Team achievements:
- NBA-Champion 2011
- Western Conference winner 2006, 2011
Dirk Nowitzki: Does he have a wife?
Dirk Nowitzki has been in a relationship with Jessica Olsen since 2010. The couple married in 2012 and have a daughter and two sons.
Dirk Nowitzki: What successes did he celebrate with the national team?
Dirk Nowitzki’s national team career started promisingly. He made his debut for the DBB A team in 1997. In 2002 he was part of the team that won the bronze medal at the World Championships in the USA. Three years later he won a silver medal at the European Championships in Serbia and Montenegro. However, he was never supposed to make the big splash with the DBB selection. The rest of the tournament participation was mostly disappointing. In 2008, Nowitzki and Co. won their opening game at the Olympics in Beijing, but then lost all four other games and were eliminated in the preliminary round. Nowitzki also regularly forewent appearances for the national team in favor of his club.
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