Nowitzki << nuh VIHT skee >>, Dirk (1978-…), a German former basketball player, was one of the greatest scorers in basketball history. The 7-foot (213-centimeter) Nowitzki played both forward and center. A 14-time All-Star, Nowitzki played his entire National Basketball Association (NBA) career with the Dallas Mavericks. He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for his play in the 2006-2007 season and led the Mavericks to the NBA championship in 2011. 
Dirk Werner Nowitzki was born in Wurzburg, Germany, on June 19, 1978. He came from an athletic family. His mother had played basketball for West Germany’s national team, and his father had been a professional handball player. In 1994, Dirk joined the Würzburg DJK team in Germany’s Bundesliga basketball league. In 1998, the Milwaukee Bucks selected Nowitzki as the ninth overall pick in the NBA Draft. Milwaukee soon traded him to Dallas.
In his second season, Nowitzki established himself as the Mavericks’ best player. He won attention for his ability to make three-point shots, unusual for such a tall player. He led the team to 12 straight playoff appearances and made his first All-Star team in 2002. The team reached the NBA finals at the end of the 2005-2006 season but lost to the Miami Heat. Nowitzki averaged nearly 25 points and 9 rebounds for the 2006-2007 season and was named the league MVP. He became the first European player to win the award.
In 2010-2011, the Mavericks again reached the NBA finals, where they defeated the Heat. Nowitzki averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds during the series and was named MVP of the finals. Nowitzki scored 31,560 points in his career, ranking sixth in league history at the time of his retirement, after the 2018-2019 season. He also played with the German national team in many international competitions and won several individual awards as the best player in Europe. Nowitzki was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
