Picture this: a tall, lanky German kid getting teased on tennis courts because of his height. Fast forward two decades, and that same kid becomes one of the NBA’s greatest European players ever. Dirk Nowitzki’s journey from tennis courts to basketball legend started with one simple invitation from his cousin.
How Did Basketball Win Dirk Nowitzki Over From Tennis?
Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki is one of the best European players in NBA history. Nowitzki played his entire 21-year NBA career with the Mavericks, who won their first and only NBA title in 2011.
On an individual level, Nowitzki earned 12 All-NBA selections, was a 14-time All-Star, and won an MVP and Finals MVP honors each. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.
In July 2024, Amazon Prime secured an 11-year media rights agreement with the NBA, beginning from the 2025-26 season. Nowitzki and Blake Griffin will be the studio analysts for the NBA on Prime, and the promotional video of Griffin was released earlier.
The promo for Nowitzki was recently released on X, where the 14-time NBA All-Star opened up about the beginning of his love for basketball.
Growing up in a middle-class family in Germany, Nowitzki was a long and lanky kid. However, like a stereotypical German, he was pessimistic and skeptical of his chances of succeeding in the NBA. Basketball wasn’t even his favorite sport growing up.
“I loved tennis growing up,” Nowitzki said. “But when I was playing tennis, some guys were like half my size, and everybody asked me, ‘How’s the air up there?’ It wasn’t fun being that tall, growing up, to be honest. My cousin started to play basketball, and he said, ‘Why don’t you come along, you’re tall.’ I went for my first practice, and that was it, I was hooked.”
“I was never, really thinking that I could do this. I went for my first practice and that was it, I was hooked.”
Catch NBA legend @swish41 on the desk this October. #NBAonPrime pic.twitter.com/igvFxynuZT
— NBA on Prime (@NBAonPrime) July 10, 2025
While the promo for Nowitzki was an emotional backstory, the one for Griffin was hilarious. Griffin and Oklahoma City Thunder star Chet Holmgren talk to each other on a video call, engaging in a hilarious conversation.
What Was Nowitzki’s Biggest Culture Shock in Dallas?
When Nowitzki arrived in Dallas in 1998, he was surprised. At that point, his only knowledge about the city was a TV show of the same name that mainly showed the countryside and ranches. So he was shocked to see tall buildings upon his arrival.
“I mean, it kind of blew my mind,” Nowitzki said to Graham Bensinger in 2022. “Of course, it was a little bit of a language barrier there when I got here. There was a little bit of a culture shock because I lived with my parents my entire life, and then not only am I one or two hours driving away, I’m 11 flight hours away. So it was hard not knowing anybody, not having my family close, and that was hard.”
In the early days, Nowitzki used to call his mentor, Holger Geschwindner, before and after every game. If things got bad, Geschwindner would fly over within two days to provide emotional support.
Thankfully, Nowitzki also found a good friend in his teammate, Steve Nash, who was very welcoming and supportive. Nash even took Nowitzki out to dinners and movies so he wouldn’t feel lonely.
That friendship became the foundation Nowitzki needed to build his new life in America. What started as dinners and movies with Nash grew into the confidence that would carry him through 21 seasons and ultimately to NBA immortality.
