• Dirk Nowitzki established himself as one of the greatest players in NBA history over a 21-year career with the Dallas Mavericks
• Nowitzki opened up on how he ended up wearing the unconventional No. 41 jersey for his NBA career
• The German was a member of the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Class
Dirk Nowitzki saw his incredible basketball career memorialized over the weekend, as he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame alongside career rivals Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Pau Gasol, and Dwyane Wade.
Nowitzki shared a story about how he came to don the iconic No. 41 jersey that hands in the rafter of the AAC in Dallas.
“I used to play basketball as No. 11 because my dad had No. 11 in handball. When I saw Charles play in the ’92 Olympics, I switched to 14., so that’s why internationally, I played with No. 14 my whole career because Charles has 14 in the Olympics. I wanted 14 when I went to Dallas but Robert Pack had 14. He was like, ‘Rookie, you’re not getting my number’. So I ended up flipping the numbers and from 14 I became 41.
The origin of number 41 told by Dirk Nowitzki 🔥 #23HoopClass pic.twitter.com/ThLDSAxLIJ
— Basketball HOF (@Hoophall) August 12, 2023
Nowitzki being so influenced by Charles Barkley that he wore his number is incredible given the differences in their game. Not only is Dirk almost 6 inches taller than Barkley, but he also had a scoring touch that is unrivaled in NBA history.
Nonetheless, it’s good to see that Barkley’s incredible 18.0 points on 71.1% field goal shooting per game during the ’92 Olympics led to the creation of a modern big man like Dirk.
Dirk Nowitzki Faded Away Into The Hearts Of Millions
On the list of NBA superstars that receive very little hate, Nowitzki is atop that list. While he had his share of doubters when on the court for his career, retirement seems to have just caused people to appreciate what he did on the court.
Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game over his career. He’s also a 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, one-time champion, one-time Finals MVP, and one-time regular-season MVP.
The blueprint for the modern big man comes from Nowitzki due to his scoring ability at his size. He’d be a perfect power forward in today’s game, primarily because he changed how the position is played.
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