Dirk Nowitzki has finally arrived in the basketball olympus. Born in Würzburg, he was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. “SWR Sport explains” shows how Nowitzki perfected the shot in basketball.
Of course you could have guessed that this day would come! But now that it’s confirmed that Dirk Nowitzki will be an official member of the National Basketball Association (NBA) Hall of Fame, it’s still an incredible moment for the 44-year-old and his fans. It is the recognition of all his merits. “The German Wunderkind” played in the NBA for 21 years! This gives him the same honor as exceptional players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or Earvin “Magic” Johnson.
Nowitzki shone from the 3-point line
He revolutionized the game in the best league in the world like no other. When Dirk Nowitzki moved to the NBA in 1998, nobody initially thought that “Dirkules” would have such a big impact on the nature of the game in the NBA. For 21 years, Dirk Nowitzki played exclusively for one team, the Dallas Mavericks. He was the first German to win the championship title and was named MVP, the best player. When the 2.13 meter tall Dirk Nowitzki came into the NBA, there was no player his height who could throw well from outside the “zone”. Dirk Nowitzki was the first so-called “seven footer” to score beyond the 3-point line.
Together with his personal trainer and mentor Holger Geschwindner, he developed various techniques over the years that made him what he is today – the sixth best pitcher in NBA history! The NBA’s top pitcher born outside the United States.
Nowitzki’s throw was continuously optimized
The basis of his throw was the high trajectory of the ball. Dirk Nowitzki’s trainer Holger Geschwindner, himself a former national basketball player and also a mathematician and physicist, optimized his protégé’s throw for many years. Among other things, Geschwindner included factors such as the ball size, the ring diameter, the ring height and the speed of the ball in his considerations. The aim was to achieve an angle of incidence of the ball of around 47 degrees.
Many teammates and opponents were initially surprised at the German’s high balls, but Nowitzki’s hit rate quickly silenced all spotters. 31,560 points Overall, Dirk Nowitzki scored in 1,522 games. No player of his height has scored more three-point shots in his career than the “Germanator”. Even under the basket, Dirk Nowitzki’s shots were almost impossible to defend. His “one-legged fadeaway,” a backward jump shot on one leg, was tweaked to be virtually undefensible for a 7-foot-1 player.
Absolutely deserved Nowitzki’s induction into the Hall of Fame
But Dirk Nowitzki was and is a great personality not only on the floor, but also off it. His loyalty to the Dallas Mavericks, his sacrifice of salary to enable the club to buy more players and the respect he always showed his opponents made Dirk Nowitzki one of the most popular basketball professionals in the NBA. The exceptional player was valued by fans, opponents and teammates alike.
In Dallas, a street is named after him, Nowitzki Way, in front of the hall, the American Airlines Center, there is a Nowitzki statue, his shirt number 41 hangs under the hall roof and will never be assigned again by the Mavericks. Dirk Nowitzki is the most successful German basketball player ever and one of the most successful in NBA history. Dirk Nowitzki absolutely deserves his induction into the Hall of Fame!
