By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Dirk Nowitzki has started in his 19th season at the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA. When he went to the USA in 1998, no one would have expected this career.
At sport1.de, Nowitzki talks about his biggest moments in 20 years of NBA as well as on super-teams, the possible new playoff format and protesting in US sports.
After 20 years of NBA, what do you remember – apart from the championship?
”My first year I will never forget my first NBA game against the Seattle SuperSonics with my countryman Detlef Schrempf, the worst game of my career. One highlight was certainly the first time all-star in 2002. As a child, I got up at 12, 13 years every night at night to see the all-star game. Then with my best buddy Steve Nash also to be there, was a madness experience. Also to be in the list of the best point collectors. When you reach the top 10, one legend after another overtakes. Or when I crossed the 30,000 point mark, it was a giant spectacle. Holger Geschwindner, my friends and my family sat with tears in their eyes on the grandstand. I will never forget that moments”.
You are to be honored for your outstanding career with a statue in front of the Dallas Mavericks Arena. What do you feel?
”I remember how I came to the United States at the age of twenty, when I was completely green behind my ears. I did not even know if I would be able to get anywhere in the league at all. I thought rather, maybe I go back to Europe after the first year. It was very difficult. And 18 years later, I’m sitting here and maybe getting a statue that would be a great thing”.
Dennis Smith Jr. a really strong rookie. What is this season for Dallas?
I think we have a deeper squad than last year. We are double-staffed on all positions. If all remain healthy, we have a chance at the playoffs. Dennis is a player who can be a lot of fun. I’ve rarely seen such an explosive guard. And he is only 19 years old, still has great potential for improvement”.
Is it the strongest West of all time?
”I’ve been around for a long time, in the Western Conference it has always been so that every game is fiercely contested. With great teams, even last year. But this year, four to five top teams are quite strong. After that there are three, four places, on which it goes closely towards playoffs. I hope we are one of these teams”.
What do you say about the trend towards super teams?
”I said last year after the playoffs that it can not be good for the league if, for example, the Golden State Warriors play without a defeat from round to round. The finals series was then again incredibly good. The speed of how many throws were taken. The finals were absolutely worth, I admit. However, the regular season and the first playoff rounds lose some value”.
To increase the tension, the NBA discusses a new playoff format. Then the 16 best teams would play against each other, instead of the eight best teams in each Conference.
”I’d like it. The problem is that America is so big and you can not be everywhere like in Germany in the plane fast, but have long travel times. Therefore, it is difficult to realize. But for me, this is the only way for the really best 16 teams to play the playoffs”.
What do you say about the new all-star mode that has been valid since this season?
”I’m more of the old variant. The trend over the last decade has been rather to play without defense and to launch spectacular actions with praise. It was quite uninteresting for the fans. At the time of the Jordan, the East still wanted to win against the West and vice versa. This is no longer the case, because the NBA wanted to try something new. But if this really changes something, we will see”.
Other players were off in the social media in the off-season, Carmelo Anthony showed up at night training in Brooklyn, LeBron James let the muscles play. How do you use Facebook, Twitter and more?
”I try to see social media more than fun. I do not post things that are serious. And to show how I get a sandwich, that is too boring for me. If I have something funny, I share this, also to communicate with the fans”.
There have recently been public protests in US sports against racism and police violence, including in the NBA. Was discussing how Dallas deals with the issue?
”We have teamed up with all the players, the coaching staff and the management and have considered what we can do. Everyone was able to express his opinion, ultimately we came to the common decision that we did not do any action during the anthem. There are many other ways to make statements. For example with t-shirts or similar things. We want to become more active and to promote equality, but the anthem seemed to us the wrong moment”.
Source: sport1.de