Shawn Marion wins the title in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks and Dirk Nowitzki. In the interview he talks about the development of basketball in international comparison and believes that a German NBA player can make a leap.
By Daniel Ehrenstraßer and Christian Koch
Shawn Marion played a total of 16 seasons in the NBA. The versatile forward was able to defend multiple positions and also became famous for his unorthodox throwing form.
Marion was named to the All-Star team four times and crowned his NBA career by winning the title in 2011 alongside Dirk Nowitzki with the Dallas Mavericks.
Im ran-Interview, the now 45-year-old talks about the special run to win the title, his former teammate Dirk Nowitzki and two German NBA stars. He believes one of them will have a breakthrough this year.
ran: ProSieben and ProSieben MAXX will show the NBA on free TV in the coming season. Do you have a message for German NBA fans?
Shawn Marion: Of course I played with the “Big German”, Dirk Nowitzki. It’s great that fans there can now watch the NBA on a regular basis!
More about the NBA
ran: You have already mentioned Dirk Nowitzki. What was he like as a person when you played together?
Marion: He was like a big kid (laughs). He knew when to be serious and he knew when to have fun. You just have to love that about Dirk. He never pretended, he was the same every game.
ran: Did you notice the influence that Nowitzki had on the German fans back then?
Marion: Yes, I knew that, everyone saw that. Playing against him was one thing. But when I was his teammate, he set a new standard again. You sometimes don’t realize how good someone was until you have time to reflect on it yourself. In everyday NBA life you are always focused on the competition. After my career I look back and think “Wow, Dirk was that good!”.
ran: Can you describe the journey to the 2011 NBA title for us?
Marion: The trip was really special. The crazy part was the preseason. My cousin and I looked at the squad in pre-season and he said: “If each of you does your job, you will win the championship this year.” He said that before the first preseason game. When we played in Orlando, Jason Terry got the championship trophy tattoo. When the season started, we slowly got rolling. It was up and down, we had a few injuries. But for the most part we stayed calm and on track. We brought in a few players, some of them really helped us. When we started the playoffs, we were fully focused. We just pushed each other to new levels. We all improved and we felt like no one could beat us. Everyone played their part and we were able to get it going and just open the floodgates. We just went for it and never looked back.
ran: It feels like more and more European players are coming to the NBA in recent years. Why is that?
Marion: Everyone is playing basketball today. And people work hard, you see the results. The sport is getting bigger and bigger. It is a new era worldwide. It’s a great sport that brings everyone together. And it’s exciting to watch, exciting to be a part of. There is no limit there.
This content comes from external providers such as Facebook, Instagram or YouTube. Please enable personalized ads and content as well as providers outside of the CMP standard to display this content.Privacy settings
Shawn Marion on the World Cup: “It’s crazy”
ran: Have you seen the World Cup? What do you think of the German team?
Marion: I think everyone has the same opportunities to achieve something special. Any team that has at least five or six NBA players in its ranks usually has a chance of winning gold. That’s because the sport is so much bigger now than it used to be. Germany, France, Canada, all had at least five or six NBA players. Back when the Dream Team came along, there were maybe a few European NBA players. Now there are tons of players in the NBA from Europe. It’s crazy.
ran: Maxi Kleber is an important player for the Dallas Mavericks. What can you say about him?
Marion: I have watched him grow. I think he will have a breakthrough this year. He had a great last year. But I think he can reach a new level again this year. I think he has the opportunity to play a big role on this team this season. I last saw him dribbling in training. He never did that before. This has to be the next step in his game. He has to look for opportunities to move to the basket, provoke contact and then make the basket. Or to put his teammates in the spotlight.
Marion: “Schröder will fit in well with the Raptors”
ran: What can you tell us about the other German NBA players, for example Dennis Schröder?
Marion: Schröder is a player with special talent and he is now going to Toronto. He’s a smart and fast guy. He was already that way when he arrived in the NBA. He just knows how to get to the basket and score points. He does that very well. I think he will fit in well with the Raptors.
2023-10-12 15:28:00
#Nowitzkis #colleague #Shawn #Marion #believes #German #NBA #professional #breakthrough
