Basketball superstar Dirk Nowitzki ended his career three years ago. Because of the corona pandemic, it is only now being adopted by the German Basketball Association. Immediately before kick-off at the home European Championship, the 44-year-old received a special honor.
The jersey of the German basketball idol Dirk Nowitzki was pulled under the roof of the hall at a festive ceremony in Cologne as part of the home European Championships, the number 14 will never be assigned again. At 8:25 p.m., minutes before the German team's opening game against France, the oversized white jersey was pulled up. 1997-2015 was under the shirt number.
The 153-time national player Nowitzki, who won bronze at the 2002 World Cup and silver at the 2005 European Championships, is the first former player whose jersey has been "retired" by the German Basketball Association (DBB). "If anyone deserves it, it's you," said DBB President Ingo Weiss in his speech.
At the beginning of the year, the Dallas Mavericks had already retired the Würzburg's 41. Team owner Mark Cuban and coach Jason Kidd were there in Cologne on Thursday, as was Luka Doncic, Nowitzki's successor as leader of the US club.
In front of a good 18,000 fans in the hall, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier paid tribute to the merits of the 44-year-old, who was the only German to win the NBA title with Dallas in 2011. "Your hero status is undiminished three years after the end of your active time. Your successes and records are legendary," said Steinmeier.
"I feel extremely honored," said Nowitzki, "I've always loved playing for my country, so it means a lot to me." Among other things, he thanked former teammates, companions, coaches, the family, his wife Jessica and their three children. The Würzburg player is an ambassador for the EuroBasket (until September 18) with games in Cologne and Berlin.
"Dirk deserves it. It will motivate us that he's here," said Dennis Schröder, captain of the German basketball team, looking ahead to the first game. Shooting star Franz Wagner also liked the special gesture. "He's always been a really big role model for me," said the Orlando Magic NBA pro. It is remarkable "how he got there, how blatantly he played, how down-to-earth he remained. Things like that impressed me when I grew up."
