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Nowitzki to Cuban: Relax
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GREG BEACHAM / Associated Press
Posted: 2 hours ago
LOS ANGELES (AP) — German NBA star Dirk Nowitzki thinks his Dallas Mavericks boss Mark Cuban worries too much.
Cuban made headlines last weekend after trading jabs with U.S. coach Larry Brown over NBA players' involvement in the Olympics and other international tournaments.
Cuban would prefer to keep his high-priced players out of international events to safeguard their health, though he hasn't yet made an ultimatum to international regulars Nowitzki, Steve Nash of Canada and Eduardo Najera of Mexico.
Nowitzki, a Western Conference reserve for the NBA All-Star game on Sunday, was the Most Valuable Player of the 2002 world championships. He also participated in the European Championships last summer, and he doesn't think any of it has affected his play for the Mavericks - quite the contrary, in fact.
"The whole thing is a little overrated," Nowitzki said. "I'm 25 years old. I can take it. If I wasn't playing there, I'd be playing pickup every night. It's just not a big deal.
"When I'm in competition, I'm getting better. You can really improve your game if you're working at it all the time. I don't think it's something to worry about."