Dirk Nowitzki

Part 1: Early Life

Dirk Nowitzki was born on June 19, 1978. He was born in Würzburg, Germany. Würzburg is a city in the south of Germany.

Dirk's family was very tall. His mother, Helga, played basketball. His father, Jörg-Werner, played handball. Dirk has one older sister named Silke. She also played basketball.

As a child, Dirk was very tall. He liked many sports. He played handball and tennis. But he loved basketball the most.

Part 2: Starting Basketball

Dirk started playing basketball when he was 13 years old. He joined a local club team called DJK Würzburg.

At first, Dirk was not very good. He was tall but thin. He couldn't jump very high. But Dirk worked hard. He practiced every day.

A coach named Holger Geschwindner saw Dirk play. He thought Dirk could be very good. Holger became Dirk's personal coach.

Part 3: Becoming a Star in Germany

Dirk got better very fast. By the time he was 16, he was playing for DJK Würzburg's top team. This team played in Germany's second division.

Dirk was different from other tall players. He could shoot very well from far away. Most tall players only played close to the basket.

In 1998, Dirk played in a game with young players from around the world. He scored 33 points and got 14 rebounds. People started to notice him.

Part 4: Coming to the NBA

In 1998, Dirk entered the NBA draft. The NBA is the top basketball league in the world. The Milwaukee Bucks picked Dirk. But they traded him to the Dallas Mavericks right away.

Dirk was nervous about moving to America. He didn't speak English very well. The NBA was very different from basketball in Germany.

Part 5: Early NBA Career

Dirk's first year in the NBA was hard. The game was faster. The players were stronger. Dirk had to learn a lot.

But Dirk didn't give up. He worked hard. He got stronger. He learned to speak English better. Each year, he got better at basketball.

By his third year in the NBA, Dirk was one of the best players on his team. He could score many points. He could also get many rebounds.

Part 6: Becoming an All-Star

In 2002, Dirk was chosen to play in the NBA All-Star game. This game is for the best players in the league. It was a big honor for Dirk.

Dirk was the first German player to be an NBA All-Star. He showed that players from Europe could be very good in the NBA.

Dirk would go on to play in 14 All-Star games in his career. This is a very high number. It shows how good he was for a long time.

Part 7: MVP Season

In the 2006-2007 season, Dirk had his best year. He scored many points. He helped his team win many games.

At the end of the season, Dirk won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. This means he was chosen as the best player in the whole NBA that year.

Dirk was the first European player to win the MVP award. It was a very big achievement.

Part 8: Winning the Championship

For many years, Dirk and the Dallas Mavericks were very good. But they couldn't win the NBA championship. They came close in 2006, but lost.

In 2011, the Mavericks had another chance. They played against the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. The Heat had many famous players.

Dirk played very well in the Finals. He scored many important points. The Mavericks won the championship. Dirk was named the Finals MVP.

Part 9: Later Career

After winning the championship, Dirk kept playing well. He was still one of the best players in the NBA.

In 2015, Dirk scored his 30,000th point in the NBA. Only six other players had ever done this before. It showed how good Dirk was for so long.

As Dirk got older, he couldn't run as fast or jump as high. But he was still very good at shooting. He helped younger players on his team.

Part 10: Playing for Germany

Dirk didn't only play for the Dallas Mavericks. He also played for the German national team.

He played in two Olympic Games: 2008 in Beijing, and 2020 in Tokyo. In 2008, he carried the flag for Germany in the opening ceremony. This was a big honor.

Dirk helped Germany win a bronze medal in the 2002 World Championship. This was one of the best results ever for German basketball.

Part 11: Special Skills

Dirk was special because of how he played:

- He was very tall (7 feet or 2.13 meters), but he could shoot from far away.
- He had a special shot called the "one-legged fadeaway." It was very hard to stop.
- He was a great free throw shooter. This is unusual for very tall players.
- He could play well in many positions on the court.
- He was a good leader. He helped his teammates play better.

Part 12: Awards and Records

Dirk won many awards in his career:

- 1 NBA championship (2011)
- 1 NBA Finals MVP (2011)
- 1 NBA Most Valuable Player (2007)
- 14 NBA All-Star selections
- First player to play 21 seasons with one NBA team

Dirk is one of the top scorers in NBA history. He scored 31,560 points in his career. This is the 6th most in NBA history.

## Part 13: Personal Life

Dirk married Jessica Olsson in 2012. They have three children: a daughter and two sons.

Dirk speaks several languages: German, English, and some Spanish. He learned Spanish to talk with his teammate Steve Nash.

Dirk is known for being humble and kind. He doesn't like to show off. He often gives money to help people in need.

Part 14: Retirement

Dirk played his last NBA game on April 10, 2019. He was 40 years old. He had played for 21 years, all with the Dallas Mavericks.

In his last home game, Dirk scored 30 points. The crowd cheered for him all night. Many people cried because they were sad to see him stop playing.

The Mavericks retired Dirk's jersey number (41). This means no other player can wear this number for the Mavericks. It's a big honor.

Part 15: Legacy

Dirk changed basketball in many ways:

- He showed that very tall players could shoot from far away.
- He helped more European players come to the NBA.
- He showed that players can stay with one team for a long time.

Dirk is remembered as one of the best power forwards in NBA history. He is also one of the best European players ever.

Many young players, especially tall ones who can shoot, say they want to play like Dirk. His style of play changed how basketball teams play.

Vocabulary List

Here are some important words from the article:

1. Local - from your area or town
2. Division - a level in a sports league
3. Rebound - catching the ball after a missed shot
4. Draft - when NBA teams choose new players
5. All-Star - one of the best players in the league
6. Achievement - something good that you have done
7. Championship - winning first place in a big competition
8. Olympic Games - a big sports event with many countries
9. Bronze medal - third place prize in a competition
10. Free throw - a shot in basketball with no one trying to stop you
11. Humble - not proud or showing off
12. Retire - to stop playing professionally
13. Jersey - the shirt a player wears in a game
14. Legacy - how people remember someone after they stop playing
15. Power forward - a position in basketball, usually for tall, strong players


Part 1: Early Life
1. When and where was Dirk Nowitzki born?
2. What sports did Dirk's parents play?
3. What sports did Dirk like as a child?

Part 2: Starting Basketball
4. How old was Dirk when he started playing basketball?
5. Who became Dirk's personal coach?

Part 3: Becoming a Star in Germany
6. What was special about Dirk's playing style compared to other tall players?
7. How old was Dirk when he started playing for DJK Würzburg's top team?

Part 4: Coming to the NBA
8. In what year did Dirk enter the NBA draft?
9. Which team did Dirk end up playing for in the NBA?

Part 5: Early NBA Career
10. Was Dirk's first year in the NBA easy or difficult?
11. By his third year in the NBA, what could Dirk do well?

Part 6: Becoming an All-Star
12. In what year was Dirk first chosen to play in the NBA All-Star game?
13. How many All-Star games did Dirk play in during his career?

Part 7: MVP Season
14. In which season did Dirk win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award?
15. Was Dirk the first European player to win the MVP award?

Part 8: Winning the Championship
16. In what year did Dirk and the Mavericks win the NBA championship?
17. What other award did Dirk win in the Finals?

Part 9: Later Career
18. How many points did Dirk score in his NBA career?

Part 10: Playing for Germany
19. In which two Olympic Games did Dirk play?
20. What medal did Germany win in the 2002 World Championship?

Part 11: Special Skills
21. What was the name of Dirk's special shot?
22. Was Dirk good or bad at free throws?

Part 12: Awards and Records
23. How many seasons did Dirk play with the Dallas Mavericks?

Part 13: Personal Life
24. How many children does Dirk have?
25. What languages does Dirk speak?

Part 14: Retirement
26. When did Dirk play his last NBA game?
27. What was Dirk's jersey number?

Part 15: Legacy
28. How did Dirk change basketball for tall players?

Vocabulary Practice
29. What does "humble" mean?
30. What is a "power forward" in basketball?