• The Dallas Mavericks had their sights set on drafting Dirk Nowitzki in the 1998 NBA Draft
• The Mavericks were trying to stop other teams from scouting Nowitzki and hid him in assistant general manager Donnie Nelson’s basement
• Nowitzki was drafted ninth overall by Dallas
The Dallas Mavericks hadn’t enjoyed much competitive success in the decade after they joined the NBA, struggling to compete throughout the ’90s. That changed in the 1998 NBA Draft, as they selected German wonder kid Dirk Nowitzki with the ninth overall pick.
The Mavs were hell-bent on hiding Dirk from other teams that could be interested in him. Head coach Don Nelson revealed that the team literally kept the German star in assistant GM Donnie Nelson’s basement for a week.
“We hid Dirk for several weeks before the draft. We made a commitment that we were going to draft him. We just wanted to keep him from going anywhere else to work out. He was going to be ours. He was happy with that. So he hid for a week in Donnie’s basement.”
Donnie Nelson was Don Nelson’s son and one of the key forces behind the Nowitzki selection. He also played a crucial role in the draft-day trade that landed Dallas Steve Nash in the same draft.
Dirk Nowitzki Made Dallas Proud
Everything the Nelson’s did to ensure Dirk became a Mav was worth it and then some given what Nowitzki did in Dallas. His 21-year stint with the franchise is the longest single-team tenure any NBA player has had, with Nowitzki still working in the front office of the franchise. They unveiled a statue in his honor last season.
Nowitzki averaged 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game for the Mavericks and brought home a championship in 2011. He was a one-time league MVP, one-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, and 12-time All-NBA selection in his career.
He’s watching a new European superstar, former teammate Luka Doncic, lead the franchise now. Whether Doncic also becomes a champion with Dallas as Dirk did is something we’ll find out over the next decade.
We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.
Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.
