Dirk In the Times

[MavKikiNYC]

Around the N.B.A.
Mavs' Nowitzki Tries Leadership by Hip-Hop

By LIZ ROBBINS
Published: January 15, 2006
Dirk Nowitzki, the sure-shooting 7-foot Mavericks forward from Germany, can add another talent to his basketball repertory.
Luis M. Alvarez/Associated Press

Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, who is from Germany, does a little rapping that shows nostalgia for his club team in Bavaria.

Dirk Nowitzki, the sure-shooting 7-foot Mavericks forward from Germany, can add another talent to his basketball repertory.


"He has a new rap song every day," guard Marquis Daniels said last week when Dallas was in town to play the Knicks. "Ludacris, 50 Cent, Jay-Z, he's got it down. I tell him he's widening his collection. He's a rapper now."

Daniels rolled his eyes and shook his head sadly. "You know what?" he added. "He might not know it's bad."

Guard Jason Terry knows, and he still loves Nowitzki's one-liners. "He's got this arm motion," Terry added, demonstrating by swinging his arm like a gate and flailing his fingers in mock hip-hop mode.

Nowitzki has been known to tweak 1996 Wu-Tang Clan lyrics by shouting, "Würzburg Warriors are the craziest," Terry said, recounting Nowitzki's nostalgia for his club team in Bavaria. "You know, he'll give the one line and then he'll be on to Dave Matthews Band or something."
Nowitzki knows who he is and is not.

"I listened to some rap growing up," the 27-year-old Nowitzki said. "Now it's hard rock. I was messing around with the guys, having fun. It's all about interacting, enjoying our time together as a team."

Will Nowitzki finally be able to rally his teammates to the N.B.A. finals this year? Nowitzki, an all-N.B.A. first-team selection last season, lifted Dallas to the third-best record in the league (26-10) heading into last night's game against the Nets, averaging 26.2 points and 8.9 rebounds.

Yet the Mavericks have one big blemish on their record: Kobe Bryant scored 62 points against them. Avery Johnson has made defense his priority since he took over as coach last March, and the Mavs are trying to change their identity.

Defense used to be as foreign territory as American rap for Nowitzki, but his teammates at least see him making efforts in one area.

"The question has always been hanging over him," Jerry Stackhouse said. "He's always been talented, but could he play defense? He's making it more of a habit."

Johnson said: "He's a work in progress on defense. He's trying to help his teammates, he's blocking shots, he's going to the offensive glass.

"He's given us leadership, he just doesn't do it the way everybody else leads; he doesn't lead the way I did. He leads by practicing hard, playing injured. He's the M.V.P. candidate in my book."

Nowitzki knows he needs to improve before thinking about postseason honors.

"Obviously my offense is my strength, and defense, and rebounding, actually, is lacking a little bit," he said after scoring 32 points in the 117-115 overtime loss to the Knicks on Wednesday.

"I'm always hard on myself after a game like that," he said. "I should have made the last couple of shots, I should have gotten more involved in the first half, found a way to get our defense set."

In his eighth season in the league, Nowitzki is humble enough to admit his shortcomings, comfortable enough to joke about his assimilation, yet confident enough to exhort his teammates to give more effort.

"He's a lot more vocal, more assertive," Terry said. "He's not so caught up in the leadership role that he still doesn't keep us loose. That's what a good leader does. He picks his spots, he gets on us, but he knows how to make everyone laugh."

[DubOverdose]

nice read

[V2M]

Nice stuff. Thanks Kiki for posting.

Dirk's defense is getting to a point where, I believe, it's quite underrated now! His timely blocks, steals and rebounds have come in quite handy in some of those close games we won recently. He plays passing lanes quite well and has great hand-to-eye coordination as evidenced by some pretty accurate slaps knocking the ball out of a player's hands. He's not a great on-the-ball defender but truly how many great on-the-ball defenders do we have in this league anyway?!

[dude1394]

If dirk would just be a little more physical out there his defense would really blossum. He sort of plays defense at waist level unless it's off the ball stuff. If he misses the strip, it's 2 points. I'd just like to see him move the D up a little higher when he's on his man.

[Thespiralgoeson]

Originally Posted by dude1394

. He sort of plays defense at waist level unless it's off the ball stuff. If he misses the strip, it's 2 points.

No kidding. I can't tell you how many times I've screamed at my tv "KEEP YOUR HAND UP!!!" when he goes for the strip instead of for the block.

[baldone]

I despise the Dirk "swipe". It could be fairly effective in spots, but Dirk goes to it way to much.

Nice article, BTW.

[dirno2000]

I don't know...Malone, a fixture on the All-Defensive team, made a living with that waist high strip.

[grndmstr_c]

There are times when Dirk goes to it too far away from the basket and in lieu of moving his feet. I'm not a big fan of it in those situations. As long as his other defensive fundamentals are there, though, I don't mind it at all. I'd wager his success to foul ratio with the technique is excellent.

That article is hilarious, btw.

[snoop]

funny read