Dirk Nowitzki Admits He Somewhat Wasted His Rookie Year

Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki recently admitted that he somewhat wasted his rookie year, per a recent appearance on “The Why” podcast with Dwyane Wade, Pau Gasol, and Tony Marker. Here’s why.

Dirk Nowitzki’s Admission

Today, it’s easy to understand why Dirk Nowitzki is widely known as the greatest European basketball player of all time. Nowitzki, now 47, is a German former power forward from Würzburg, Germany. However, Nowitzki’s journey to the NBA wasn’t clear-cut. Nowitzki didn’t dominate the EuroLeague like Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc did. Therefore, the Nowitzki surname wasn’t tried-and-true in the United States. Plus, European players still weren’t seen highly in the U.S. during the 1990s.

The Milwaukee Bucks selected Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick of the 1998 NBA Draft. Nowitzki previously played for DJK Würzburg in his hometown of Würzburg between 1994 and 1998. The Bucks traded Nowitzki in a multi-team trade with the Dallas Mavericks, so the former arrived in Dallas, Texas, alongside Steve Nash, a Canadian point guard who also became a household name. Nash, now 51, played for the Mavericks from 1998 to 2004.

Of his rookie year, Nowitzki recalled, “I think my first year was super hard … I’m older than all you guys (Pau Gasol, Dwyane Wade, Tony Parker), so I came in in the ’98–’99 lockout. We only had 50 games and I never really got comfortable that year. We had five or six games in one week. I’m like, where am I? So that was kind of a wasted year. Then I would say my second year, we had a power forward named Gary Trent, and he was a starter, and I was coming off the bench.

“That year in training camp, Gary tore his hamstring, and so he’s probably out the whole year, and I was the only tall guy left on the roster. In my first year, I was more playing small forward ’cause I was very weak, obviously, very skinny. I couldn’t guard the fours, and so Nelly came up to me and said I was going to play at four.”

Nowitzki’s Career

Dirk Nowitzki’s career turned out to be smooth-sailing, despite the Dallas Mavericks initially taking a gamble on Nowitzki. Germans, let alone Europeans, didn’t get much respect and trust back then. Nowitzki struggled in his rookie year, but improved in his sophomore season, averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while shooting 37.9% from three-point range.

Nowitzki concluded his professional basketball career in 2019. Nowitzki’s career averages are 20.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, while shooting 38% from three-point range in 1,522 games played.

Final Thoughts

Dirk Nowitzki overcame his first-year struggles in the NBA, set the standard for European players, and built a legacy that will likely be impossible to match. Nowitzki stayed with the Dallas Mavericks for 21 seasons, a rather long time with one team compared to today’s players.

Nowitzki’s presence extended past the basketball court. Nowitzki is reportedly a fan of hip-hop and pop music, with his early catch phrases stemming from hip-hop and pop songs. Migos name-dropped him with the release of “Dirk Nowitzki” in 2015. He also appeared in several TV shows and movies like Punk’d, 2011 NBA Champions: Dallas Mavericks, and Nowitzki: The Perfect Shot.