The resignation of the Basketball Superstars : How Dirk Nowitzki the first defeat taught

Out of pure self-interest I was hoping, actually, that Dirk Nowitzki would continue his career for another year. I just didn't want to grow in my basement and in the Chaos after a box with a photo from the year 1990 to look. It should be the proof photo for a personal story that for me is of greater importance, but I also have the newspaper to cheer, could, perhaps, on the occasion of his resignation: Namely, that my team is one of the best basketball players of all time taught probably the first defeat in his club basketball career. On Wednesday morning I have dug myself through the boxes.

on Tuesday night, Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas gave the end of his magnificent and unparalleled career. "That was my last home game," says the 40-Year-old stirred. He goes as one of the biggest sports stars of all time, and, if you take size literally, he is 2.13 meters, even the greatest. In his 21. and final NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks, he has broken a few records, most of all, he is now one of NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, and not so far behind the fifth-placed Michael Jordan, the sixth-best thrower in the NBA history.

in addition to numerous personal awards, the NBA title in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks, stands out. The German national team, does not count in the rule to the top of the world, he led at least to Bronze at the world Championships in 2002, and EM-silver in 2005 and the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. "It was an incredible trip," said Nowitzki in the night to Wednesday. And for a short period of time have crossed on this journey, our paths, especially at the beginning.

It was in the summer of 1990, when I saw Dirk Nowitzki for the first Time on the basketball field. I trained for the D-youth of the TSV Ismaning, Germany, a municipality in the district of Munich, which is more for cabbages than for Basketball known. At the Bavarian Championships in Augsburg, we met the DJK Würzburg, and I was already in advance aware of the fact that the würzburg had a certain amount of Dirk Nowitzki in their ranks. However, just because to me the reading of the "Bayern-Basket" had betrayed that his four years older sister Silke Nowitzki is already in a number of Basketball teams.

her twelve-year-old brother, however, prefer Tennis and volleyball played at this time, and was made possible only by the würzburg youth coach, Pit steel, and his Cousin Holger Grabow to the Basketball lured. The Bavarian championship in Augsburg was his first tournament with a club team, like me steel, later once told.

Early insights. Our author played as a youth coach in 1990 against Dirk Nowitzki (number 14).Photo: Private

We have won on that Sunny Sunday morning in Augsburg, against Dirk Nowitzki and his würzburg. It was a game that had no meaning, because we was a group, the last to Würzburg already in the group and at the end of the Bavarian masters. In retrospect, however, hold that this defeat Dirk Nowitzkis first was with a club team. Which of course is just an insignificant footnote for him, and most of the people. But not for the author of these lines.

The evidence photo above shows the region is center player Hermann Riel, loses the jump ball against Dirk Nowitzki. This was at the time, the number 14, as well as in his entire career in Würzburg and in the national team. When he came in 1999 to the Mavericks, was occupied this number, however, by Robert Pack. So, Dirk Nowitzki turned the digits of his favorite number. With the result that the Mavericks Jersey adored with the number 41 in the world and is loved.

A Poster of Scottie Pippen on the wall

As a young coach in Ismaning I have at the beginning of the 90s, more and more of Dirk Nowitzki. Only three of my players from the Bayern-selection, which came after each course and the capabilities of the würzburg Teenagers swarmed. Later, he led them to the German championship title of the selection teams of the year in 1978. In Bayern, he had his first girlfriend. It was a time when a Poster of Scottie hung Pippen of the Chicago Bulls in his würzburg youth room. In the night to Wednesday it is precisely this Scottie has Pippen with many other NBA legends adopted.

Later on, our author, Dirk Nowitzki arrived back in Dallas as a sports journalist.Photo: Private

in 1994, I saw Dirk Nowitzki is once again at the Bavarian championship of the B-youth. Already with 16 years he stood out with his size of maybe two meters. Remarkably, that his coach was consistently from the wing position from the throw, although he would have helped under the basket his team a lot more. Würzburg, then lost Basket, the semi-final against Munich. For the development of Dirk Nowitzkis for the sixth-best thrower in the NBA, however, begat Pit steel measure of great foresight.

he would, however, make this incredible career, he has thanks to his Talent, his diligence, and Holger geschwindner, whom he met in 1995 for the first Time. The former national Basketball player was his personal Trainer, Mentor and fatherly friend. The idiosyncratic Geschwindner, set the highest goals: "We mix it with the NBA." And he was right.

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the last I saw of Dirk Nowitzki from now on as a coach on the basketball field, in my new role as a sports journalist. First of all, I proposed, unsuccessfully, a story about him. Beginning in 1998, an editor of a major German newspaper, replied to my proposal about the "greatest German basketball talent." "That's what they said about Vladimir Bogojevic." In addition, nerve Holger Geschwindner, with his Call in the editors. The newspaper then wrote some time later, but about him.

size even in defeat

After a difficult and, because of a strike also shortened Rookie season in 1999, it was then already in his second season with the Dallas Mavericks, that it would be a great, maybe even great career. Because he was at the European Championships in Turkey in 2001 already the best pitcher of all teams. I had not noticed in the preliminary round in Antalya by the press ranks, however, that Dirk Nowitzki was missing initially. He was gone before the first jump ball in the cabin and had to before the excitement to pass. And then scored against Estonia 33 points.

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The truly special but to him, his cheerfulness, kindness and humanity that he has preserved also in the success. Which player doesn't want millions of dollars, just so that his club has more money to sign players? Its size was also evident in dealing with one of the few major defeats of his life: the woman he wanted to marry, turned out as an impostor. In Frankfurt, he spoke in 2009 at a press conference in a Sponsor's unusually open and focus on this personal tragedy.

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in the Meantime, however, he has found a private in Dallas his luck. The Swedish Jessica Olsson and the sons of Max and Morris, as well as the daughter Malaika. "I'm glad that now my other life starts," said Dirk Nowitzki on Wednesday. Who has seen the joy with which he in the hospital with strangers around albert, the idea that it is a very good time.