Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesJason Terry dribbles the ball around a pick set by Dirk Nowitzki. Two Lakers hesitate on the switch leaving just a few feet of space between Nowitzki and Lamar Odom. And that's all it takes.Terry sends a bounce pass to Nowitzki near the baseline, and in a move perfected through years and years of shooting drills, Nowitzki's legs slightly spread apart as he jumps, Odom gets there just a split second too late, and the ball completes its journey, splashing through the net.For Dirk Nowitzki, those were points 20,000 and 20,001, Reebok New York Giants #27 Brandon Jacobs Realtree camo Jersey
giving him a milestone that only 34 players in the NBA have, and one that is considered the benchmark for any scorer worth his salt.As a German, he showed that big, tall Europeans who can shoot can indeed become superstars in the NBA. As a player, he turned Dallas into more than just a football town. As a power forward, he revolutionized the position and forced countless coaches to adapt to a whole new kind of game plan.On Feb. 5, 1999, the Dallas Mavericks were playing the Seattle Supersonics, and a lanky, 19-year-old German stepped to the free throw line. He had missed all five of his field goals, his first shots in the NBA.He nailed those two free throws, though, the only ones he attempted. Points number one and two.On Jan. 13, 2010, nearly 11 years after those first two free throws, Nowitzki scored his 20,000th point on a baseline jumper over Lamar Odom.Oh sure, some things have changed. Steve Nash has turned into Jason Terry, Michael Finley into Josh Howard, and that mailbox outside the AAC into Erick Dampier.The wins have changed, too. From 19 that first short season, to 40 the next. Ever since then, the Mavs haven't dipped below 50 wins, with Nowitzki as the one remaining constant.For Nowitzki and his fans, Feb. 5, 1999, seems like a lifetime ago. In between, there was an MVP campaign, a trip to the Finals, multiple All-Star appearances, buzzer-beating game-winners, and much more.But one thing hasn't changed: There is no championship ring on his finger, and no Larry O'Brien trophy at the American Airlines Center.Sure, he got close, and one could argue until the cows come home about the 2006 championship that was lost, or taken away, depending on who you ask.Nowitzki has always drawn his fair share of hate, though. I don't know why, whether people are just stupid, or...well, they're just stupid.If you know a single thing about the game of basketball, you cannot deny that Nowitzki is, and has been, a top-five player in the league for the better part of his career.It's because of him that people like Darko Milicic and Andrea Bargnani became such highly coveted prospects. Even today, GMs around the league are always on the search for the "next Dirk Nowitzki."What's really remarkable about his game is how refined his offense has become.His signature shot is the "one-legged Euro fadeaway," and it is the most un-defendable shot since Kareem's skyhook.Nowitzki begins by facing his defender straight up, which by itself is a departure from the usual game of forwards. Forwards are used to banging bodies defensively, and though Nowitzki always gets crap for not backing people down, he's just too damn good to do that.He faces them up, takes a few steps off his pivot foot to see how much space he gets, and more often than not, propels himself backward at a 45 degree angle and drains the high, arcing shot.He's so reliable at it that he's able to exploit the defenders who just settle into thinking he's going to take that shot. When he takes that brief moment of hesitation, the defender will lean in, anticipating that fade-away, then Nowitzki takes a quick step in to the basket as the defender is already off balance and a step behind, allowing a straight shot to the basketor someone else has to help the defender, leaving another Maverick open. Reebok New York Jets #6 Mark Sanchez Realtree camo Jersey
He's also a very underrated rebounder, though I wouldn't call him dominant on the boards by any stretch. He gets most of his on the defensive glass, since he's rarely under the basket on offense.Of course, Nowitzki's got the range to hit the three-pointer, but as the Mavs have gotten better perimeter players, his three-point attempts have gone down. So now, it's less a major part of his game and more an added bonus should he find himself trailing the fast break just right, or if, stupidly, he is left alone on the perimeter.Dirk Nowitzki got me into basketball. I always watched the playoffs, but I never really followed a team until the blond 7-foot German with the Hans Gruber smirk who could shoot the lights out came along.So what are my favorite memories of Dirk? Well, I've got a ton, but here are just a few of my personal favorites:Dirk Hits the Game-winner against the Utah Jazz, April 10, 2008After a lackluster start to the Jason Kidd: Redux era, the Mavericks found themselves not only losing to a good team but fighting for a playoff spot.When Deron Williams banked in a three to tie a nail-biter of a game in Dallas with 5.8 seconds left, the Mavericks looked like they would be lucky to get an eight seed.But Nowitzki had other plans. The Mavs didn't take a timeout, and they rushed up the floor before Utah could get set with Nowitzki on the wing all alone. I watched this one live at my house, and I threw a few punches in the air and may or may not have howled like a wolfDirk drops four three-pointers in 1:41 during a 24-point comeback against Toronto, Nov. 20, 2007The Mavs were still getting over the hangover of the upset to the Warriors in the 2007 playoffs when they fell behind big to the Toronto Raptors at home. If there's one thing we know, it is that with a three-point shooter like Nowitzki, no lead is safe.He proceeded to key the rally by hitting four straight three-pointers in the final 1:41 of the third quarter where Dallas outscored the Raptors 38-17. Wowzers.Dirk drops 50 on the Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference Finals Game 4, June 1, 2006This was the infamous "Tim Thomas blows Dirk a kiss game," and it's something that I'll never forget watching. It's also really the last time the NBA was innocent to me, as the events of the 2006 Finals turned me bitter beyond belief, and I still haven't fully recovered.It was a simpler time for us all, when it seemed that Nowitzki's Mavs and Nash's Suns were destined to meet during the playoffs every year, and every series looked like it was going to be great. The Lakers were terrible, Dwyane Wade was single-handedly winning playoff games before the refs helped him out, and LeBron was still stuck with players like Eric Snow. That's called playoff clutch kids, and it can't be taughtDirk's Three-point Play Helps Beat theReebok Oakland Raiders #21 Nnamdi Asomugha Realtree camo Jersey
Spurs at Home in Game 7, May 22, 2006The happiest I've ever been as a basketball fan, and I didn't even see it live. I saw the Mavs blow the 3-1 lead to the Spurs from London by following every newspaper and sports update I could get.I remember getting home the morning after the game and driving back from the airport. I was a few miles away, and all of a sudden it occurred to me that Game Seven was the previous night. I pulled up the scores on my phone, and it was an amazing feeling as the page loaded and I saw the Mavs had prevailed in OT.They blew a 20-point lead and gave up what should have been a dagger three-pointer to Manu Ginobili in the closing minute of the game, but Nowitzki, in his own words, wouldn't let the season slip away.Instead of a fadeaway, he initiated contact, the ball rimmed in, and the Mavericks never looked back. It's all bittersweet, of course, because of what would happen a few short weeks later, but for a few short weeks, Nowitzki was THE best player in the NBA, without question.So that's about it for my Dirk Nowitzki tribute.On a personal note, he is my favorite basketball player of all time. Sometimes it really bums me out beyond belief that Nowitzki might retire without getting a ring, a feeling not unfamiliar to Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, John Stockton, and Reggie Miller fans.I can even empathize with Kevin Garnett fans, because should Nowitzki ever go chase a ring, I couldn't possibly hate it. Who knows, maybe I'm more of a Nowitzki fan than a Mavs fan. I hope I never have to find out.But I've got these memories, and many more that I can't begin to describe. And more than that, Nowitzki hooked me on the sport of basketball. I played it, watched it, and even liked it, but I wasn't the fan I am today, and I wouldn't be without Dirk Werner Nowitzki.I think every fan has a player like that, and it's always good to celebrate that player, particularly one not named LeBron, Kobe, Shaq, or MJ, because those players are too easy for me.It's easy to fall in love with rings and perfection, but it's quite another thing to get into a star before he hits it real big and follow them hopefully all the way to the top. I know there were Jordan, Kobe, and Shaq fans before they won, but you get what I'm saying.So here's to you Dirk. You're a class act on Reebok Pittsburgh Steelers #86 Hines Ward Realtree camo Jersey
the court, a cold-blooded killer on the court, and one of the best players to ever stroll out on the hardwood.You've given a face to a faceless franchise, and you have blazed the trail for Europeans and sharp-shooting big man.It was an amazing 20,000 points, some at the biggest moments on the biggest stage, and some in garbage time on either end of a blowout.And even if I didn't see all 20,000, they were damn fun to watch, each and every one of them.
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