Dirk Nowitzki’s legacy isn’t that jumper but that he is the ideal American | Opinion
Among America’s favorite German imports, Dirk Nowitzki now ranks ahead of pretzels, cars and only slightly behind beer.
He has not played a game since April 20, 2019, which given how much the world changed less than a year later now feels like like three decades ago.
On Wednesday night, Dirk will celebrate one of the final achievements of his career when the Dallas Mavericks retire his No. 41 jersey during a ceremony after they host the Golden State Warriors.
The Mavs have a long schedule of events associated with the ceremony, including an appearance by NBA commissioner Adam Silver, special edition gear, and a temporary museum to showcase some of Dirk’s toys collected during his 21-year pro career.
About the only thing left for Dirk to achieve is enshrinement in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass. And, of course, the statue is currently being built in Chicago.
“That’s a lot for me,” Dirk said Tuesday during a Q&A with the media at the American Airlines Center.
As Americans continue the endless fight over immigration, Dirk Nowitzki is the standard example of why we will always need it. Dirk is German, and the American ideal.
He is the best of all of us, and the U.S.
Dirk came to America as a teenager, unsure of himself, and wanting to go home.
He stayed to build a life, a family, and a career that made his community, his sport, and the world, a better place.
Not many people, much less a pro athlete, can say that. Not sure Michael Jordan could say that.
The NBA is a better league with a better brand of basketball due in part to Derr Mann.
From Luka Doncic to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki inspired a generation of Europeans, and validated their ability by becoming one of the best basketball players in the history of the game.
“It makes me proud in a way as an old father to see some of those young kids take over the league and not only be players but be franchise players, MVP-type caliber,” he said. “If I helped some young guys, or inspired somebody, it’s an honor for me to be a part of their journey.”
Precisely none of this was easy, which is the vital element to this story’s eternal charm.
Dirk had to go through a lot of NBA pain before he had it all, when he led the Mavs to an NBA Finals win over the LeBron James and the SuperTeam in 2011.
“Some of the playoff losses come to mind,” he said.
Those playoffs losses to the Kings, the Spurs, the Suns, and there were some others. The pain of taking a 2-0 series lead against the Miami Heat in the 2006 NBA Finals only to lose four straight.
The humiliation of becoming the first top seed to lose a firs- round series to an eight seed, in 2007 against the Warriors.
Not all of this was pleasant.
He was called a lot of names, normally “Soft Euro.” There were some other four-letter words in there.
Some of it was traumatic. There was that horrible instance when his ex-fiance turned out to be a impostor, and was sentenced to prison.
Dirk was always a bit too nice for his own good. If that is the worst thing someone says about you, take it.
Today, he’s 43 with a wife and three children.
He looks good, but the ankles that troubled him so much in the final years of his career aren’t so good. He’s unable to move quite the way he wants, and only plays doubles tennis and rides his bike these days.
He took his opportunity to come to the United States and made the most of it.
That is the American ideal, and what this country was founded on.
He’s a German import, but Dirk Nowitzki is the best of America.
