SLAM Article on Dirk -

[mary]

Dirk Nowitzki :: The American Way

By Michael Bradley



It’s a funny thing about leadership in the NBA. Generally speaking, the best leading men are the best players, those who are willing (and able) to score big, take the most shots and deliver superhero deeds on demand. That may not be how it’s defined in Webster’s, but in the David Stern dictionary, it’s right there, generally accompanied by a picture of Michael Jordan. You lead by taking charge. That’s how you get respect in the NBA. Step up. Be The Man. Take over. You know the clichés.


So the Dallas Mavericks had to be happy back on Dec. 2, when a gunfight broke out at American Airlines Center. That night, one of the League’s top “leaders,” Tracy McGrady, went into full-fledged NBA “leadership” mode by launching jumpers from everywhere but the nacho stand. He beat double and triple-teams, jumped over opponents and tall buildings and scored 48 teammate-ignoring points in a classic T-Mac performance that fairly screamed, “I’m in command!” to all who watched. But the good news for folks in Big D is that Dirk Nowitzki was there “leading” right next to him. With his Mavs stung by injuries, he went to the head of the line and scored 53, shattering his career high by 10 and leading Dallas to a 113-106 overtime victory. Afterward, analysts marveled at Nowitzki’s outburst—it was a great sign. Dallas needed somebody to counter McGrady’s assault, and the seventh-year seven-footer responded. Very good, indeed.

And oh, so not what Dirk Nowitzki wants. Not yet, anyway. He loved scoring that many points, don’t misunderstand that. He’s always been a mighty offensive force, from the time he first picked up a basketball back in Wurzburg, Germany. You want shots? He’ll give you shots. For a few years, in fact, that’s about all he would give you. But no matter how much fun it is to check into T-Mac World for a night and turn a game into a personal showcase, Nowitzki isn’t about that. And if you paid attention last summer, when the US Olympic team was getting a lesson in the ways of international ball, you would quickly understand why. No one else in the world plays basketball like the NBA does— no one. And it’s not just because of those crazy FIBA rules or some perceived lack of “athletic ability” in Lithuania or Spain. International ball is all about the group.

Individual excellence is accepted, so long as it doesn’t interfere with the Big Picture. Imagine that. Socialism on the hardwood; no wonder we can’t understand it. This is America. Capitalism rules. Pass and screen away? That’s college stuff. Clear it the hell out and let me go it alone.

“American basketball is one-on-one or two-on-two,” Nowitzki says. “The rest of the world plays as a team, setting screens and passing. In the NBA, there’s a lot of isolation. That’s not what FIBA’s about. You’ve got to move and make something happen. You can’t just post somebody up, count on getting three dribbles and a shot. You’d have five guys around you. That’s why it was so hard for Tim Duncan in the Olympics. He was surrounded. You have to do things differently out there.

“But,” he adds, “I love both styles.”


There it is. The reason. As long as Dirk Nowitzki keeps going home to play for the German national team in the summer, he’s going to need some help becoming the fire-breathing dominator the NBA so covets. As long as he wants his teammates to stand chest-to-chest with him, he won’t be able to take 28 shots a night without apology. Did you see Nowitzki in that exhibition game against Team USA last summer? Sure, he went nuts, but he did it as a German, not as an NBA superstar. It took a buzzer-beating three from Allen Iverson to give the Americans the win, but for Dirk—who finished with 32 points and 12 boards—and his countrymen, it hardly felt like a loss. “There were 20,000 people there that night,” Dirk says, still marveling at the experience. “That’s amazing for German basketball.”

Nowitzki will keep going back, too. He feels he owes it to the German Federation, which cultivated his talent for several years, creating the Teutonic monster who came to the States as a 19-year-old and needed all of two seasons to become a force. “I got to travel to other countries to play basketball because of the Federation, while my other friends didn’t leave Germany,” he says. “It was an amazing experience, representing my country. I love that.” It’s still about the whole for Nowitzki. Sometimes, that means passing the ball and letting someone else get the glory. Sometimes, it means scoring 53. Always, it means working for team success.

“That was great,” Nowitzki says of his offensive showcase against McGrady and the Rockets. “It was so much fun. I did something, and then Tracy came right back. I scored 53, but I took like 20 free throws [22, actually]. He had 48 on something like [seven] free throws. He was making jumpers from all over, even against tough double teams. It was an amazing game, but I’m glad that we won. If you put up big numbers, it’s no fun if you lose.”

Nowitzki wouldn’t let himself imagine it. Couldn’t bring himself to think what it would be like to wear the Laker uniform. It was bad enough that Steve Nash, his best friend and the person who taught him how to speak, eat, dress and act like an American (or at least, a North American) had gone back to Phoenix. But Dirk being traded to L.A. for Shaq? Nope, that was too much. From his compound in Germany, surrounded by friends and family, Nowitzki didn’t play the what-if game. He waited. He hoped. He stayed.

“Every summer, there are rumors out there, so I leave for Germany and stay out of the rumor thing,” Dirk says. “I was just trying to relax and see my family. But when I heard my name, I was shocked. I love Dallas and my friends there. I’m glad I can stay there.”

But he’s there without Nash now. Not only was Nash a personal guide through the confusing American cultural maze, he was also the perfect basketball complement to Nowitzki. With the floppy-haired point man around, Nowitzki didn’t have to go one-on-one to get his shots. There were crisp passes in the right places. The break was always run to perfection. And nobody can draw a defense and then kick it out like Nash. Why are the Suns tearing everybody a new one? Well, Amare has more than a little something to do with it, but it’s the skinny Canuck who makes things go.

Conversely, Nash in Phoenix means trouble in Dallas. Or at least concern. “We have to find a way to be better passers,” Nowitzki says, and there’s that “we” again. No wonder Michael Finley and assistant coach Avery Johnson keep telling Dirk to be selfish. He’s waiting for the ball to start moving like it does when Argentina plays Spain, or at least like it used to when Nash was around, and everyone else wants Dirk to become Überman. “Steve made it so easy for everyone else,” Nowitzki says, somewhat sadly. “I would love Steve to be here to take us to the other level. We need to find someone to do that.”


Hello? That someone is you, Dirk, whether you like it or not. “I’m modest and shy,” he says. Oh, brother—OK, so it’s going to take some time. Just as Dirk has had to work on his passing and (especially) his defense, so too must he work on becoming a more assertive leader. And in fairness, he has become more complete, even at the defensive end. Early in his career, Nowitzki was like a maitre d’ when opponents had the ball—you know, “Right this way, sir,” as he escorted a ball-handler to the hoop. It was almost surprising he didn’t ask for a tip. But Nowitzki is more committed to stopping others now, and we all know that commitment is the first step on the road to becoming a competent (at least) defender.

“My defense got better the last couple years, but I have way more to do,” Nowitzki admits. “I want to be more active on the perimeter, move my feet and keep the little guys in front of me. I have a long way to go to be an all-around player.”

He’s also passing better, and more often. Again, it’s progress. For a while there, Nowitzki was like a one-way street: the ball went in but didn’t come out. Now, without Nash, he’s more aware that the ball must keep moving or the Mavs will stagnate. He sees how potent Phoenix is—and was pretty steamed earlier this year when Nash and the Suns earned a six-point win in the teams’ first meeting—because Nash is capable of getting the ball where it needs to go. So, Dirk looks around. He tries to set up his teammates. It’s admirable, really. Pardon the comparison to another tall, pale long-range shooter, but Larry Bird used to do it all the time. Then, when it absolutely mattered, the Legend would hit the big shot that sent everybody home happy.

Nowitzki says a player doesn’t enter his prime in the NBA until he’s 28 or 29, and he’s probably right about that. But he may also be building in a little extra time there, the better to put off the nasty work of being The Man and everything that comes with it. He knows what it means to be in charge. And how couldn’t he, playing in the Western Conference, where Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett do business? Perhaps he’s waiting for Finley to crest and then recede as Dallas’ senior starter. The classy shooting guard turns 32 in March, so maybe in another year or two or three, Nowitzki will feel comfortable enough stepping forward for good. “Michael can score 20 a night,” Nowitzki says. Yeah, Dirk, and you can get 30. Or more.

And if you want to be considered among the best, you’ll need to assume that responsibility willingly—enthusiastically even—thriving on the opportunity to make everybody better, just like Nash does, but still bringing the big stake at the end of games to drive straight through the beating heart of an opponent. Then, you can stand next to KG and Duncan.

For more on Dirk Nowitzki, pick up SLAM 86 Linkage

[dude1394]

Awesome...thanks for the post....I've gotta head right out and buy it.

[PepperTheMavsFan41]

And if you want to be considered among the best, you’ll need to assume that responsibility willingly—enthusiastically even—thriving on the opportunity to make everybody better, just like Nash does, but still bringing the big stake at the end of games to drive straight through the beating heart of an opponent. Then, you can stand next to KG and Duncan.

Thats funny. The next time will be the first for him.

[dirt_dobber]

Best article I've seen from Slam in a long time.

Nice to see Dirk's getting respect from all corners.

He is also getting the calls from the refs this year.

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