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Old 09-02-2022, 12:47 PM   #5365
mavErika
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In light of yesterday's jersey retirement ceremony I'm shocked this thread had not been bumped to the front page already.

Anyways, here's a good read:

https://www.fiba.basketball/eurobask...egend-nowitzki

Inspiration, pioneer, global superstar: Europe's best tip hat to legend Nowitzki

COLOGNE (Germany) - Dirk Nowitzki achieved so much in his two decades of starring for Germany and the Dallas Mavericks. In addition to all the team and individual accomplishments, the legendary figure also inspired generations of young Europeans.

A number of them are at FIBA EuroBasket 2022 and congratulated him on his number 14 jersey being retired by the German Basketball Federation on the opening night of the tournament and recalled what he meant to them growing up in Europe.

"Dirk is a legend of the game, not only for us Germans but for the whole world of basketball," said Germany's new leader Dennis Schroder, who played with Nowitzki at his final tournament, EuroBasket 2015. "I still remember watching him play when I was a kid, and I was lucky to be able to play with him and learned so much from him about the game. He is really a legend on and off the court. Retiring his number is the cherry on the top of the cake for a player."

"HE'S AN INSPIRATION FOR ALL OF US. I HAVE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF RESPECT FOR HIM."

Goran Dragic knows Nowitzki from the NBA, the national team and his connection with Mavericks star and fellow Slovenian star Luka Doncic.

"He's a global superstar - one of my favorite players from Europe when I was growing up and when I came to the league," Dragic said of Nowitzki. "He gives so much to Dallas, so much to the NBA, so much to European basketball. It?s unbelievable. I had many, many battles with him, unfortunately most of those battles we lost. But it's always great to see one of the best players in European history be honored."

The jersey ceremony happened just before Germany's first game in the tournament against France and French star big man Rudy Gobert also had high words of praise for Nowitzki.

"He's an inspiration for all of us. I have a tremendous amount of respect for him - not just for what he's done on the court but also for who he is as a human being," Gobert said. "He is definitely one of the guys that I really look up to. And his career, his path and the way he approached the game to me is very genuine, and that's the way I approach the game too."

Lithuania star Domantas Sabonis remembers fondly Nowitzki guiding the Mavericks to the 2011 NBA title and even waking up early in the morning to watch the NBA Finals games live in Spain.

"He's awesome. I grew up watching him. One of the best European players. His run when they won the championship in 2011 was amazing. Seeing him go against the Big Three (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh), it was awesome."

Sabonis also recalled a workout he had one time in Dallas and Nowitzki approached him and asked Sabonis about his legendary father Arvydas Sabonis. "He came over and said how you doing? How's your pops? He's always been nice to me. Amazing player but even better off the court."

"HE'S A GLOBAL SUPERSTAR - ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS FROM EUROPE WHEN I WAS GROWING UP AND WHEN I CAME TO THE LEAGUE (NBA)."- Goran Dragic

Sabonis' Lithuania star teammate Jonas Valanciunas said Nowtizki means a lot to every European, even every person who follows basketball.

"This is one of the biggest names, especially for me. Being a European who is playing in the NBA, it means a lot to see more and more European players being successful. He was the star there and he showed that European players can play there. That stepback was the killer. It?s hard to forget that," recalled Valanciunas.

"One of the greats. His basketball did a lot of good for us," said Bosnia and Herzegovina leader Jusuf Nurkic. "You look at his story and how he began and came to the NBA - for me one of the best from overseas: him, Drazen (Petrovic), Vlade (Divac), Toni (Kukoc). He did a lot of great for our basketball and all of us to get there. I was fortunate enough to play against him later in his career and it was amazing."

Croatia center Ivica Zubac said all of the younger generations really need to thank Nowitzki for paving the way.

"I think all the younger kids in Europe, when they start growing up, when they start playing basketball, when they start watching basketball, and when they get to understand the game, they see Dirk and what he did during his career. How he came over so early, so young and kind of fought for his role over in the league and made a big name for himself and paved the way for all the European guys," Zubac said.

"He was obviously one of the best European players ever, so he had a big impact on all of us. His career was so, so amazing, spending his whole career with one club and winning that title. And then playing for his national team with a lot of patience, it's really big time and inspiring for future generations," added Croatian star Bojan Bogdanovic.

Nowitzki's impact was not just felt by young European players. European coaches also got to experience first hand Nowitzki's greatness. One of them was France playcaller Vincent Collet.

"I don't think we are used to (a jersey retirement ceremony) like in the United States, to celebrate stars like this. Nowitzki, for me, was one of the players who dominated Europe - along with Tony Parker and Pau Gasol. We crossed him a couple of times and he was always a big problem for us," Collet said before the ceremony. "It will be a special moment, an emotional moment. I like that. I think it's good for our sport to celebrate our former great players."

Former great players like Dirk Nowitzki, who clearly has left a major mark of inspiration on the current stars at EuroBasket.
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