NBA: Schröder keeps in touch with Nowitzki: “A lot of talks”

“We’ve had a lot of talks this year and we’ve also written a lot,” said the 29-year-old from Braunschweig to the German Press Agency.

“When I have a great game, he says: clean my boy, and is always active,” said Schröder, who had made it to the finals of the Western Conference with the Los Angeles Lakers. “If it’s his birthday, if anything is celebrated in his career or in his life, then of course you text him.”

At the beginning of his time in the NBA ten years ago, he asked Nowitzki for advice one time or another, said Schröder. “He also answered very kindly. Of course he’s been through this for years.”

However, he often did not contact the Dallas Mavericks professional: “In my first year, you never know, you should ask a lot. We were in contact once or twice a year.” What Nowitzki did was “madness,” enthused Schröder. “To make it so far as a German, to change basketball, to change sport in general, to win the championship, to be MVP – that’s really awesome. From Würzburg.”

(dpa)