A native of Wurzburg, Germany, Dirk Nowitzki is a philanthropist, businessman, and former NBA superstar. As the only player in NBA history to play 21 seasons with the same franchise, Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA championship in 2011 while taking home Finals MVP honors. He was enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2023.

The 14-time All-Star (2002-12, 2014-15, 2019) is the NBA’s sixth all-time leading scorer (31,560 career points) and the top foreign-born scorer of all time. He is a 12-time All-NBA selection (2001-12), including a four-time All-NBA First Team honoree (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09). In 2006-07, Nowitzki became the first European-born player to be named the league’s Most Valuable Player while joining the NBA’s 50-40-90 club that same year.

Nowitzki is the Mavericks’ all-time leader in points, games (1,522), starts (1,460), wins (916), minutes (51,368), field goals made (11,169), 3-pointers made (1,982), free throws made (7,240), total rebounds (11,489), defensive rebounds (10,021), offensive rebounds (1,468) and blocks (1,281). He is the only player in NBA history to record at least 30,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 3,000 assists, 1,500 3-pointers made, 1,200 blocks, and 1,200 steals.

Off the court, Nowitzki has always had a passion to give back to those in need. He started the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation in Dallas in 2001 and began the Dirk Nowitzki Stiftung in 2005 in his hometown of Wurzburg. In December 2007, the NBA honored him with the NBA Community Assist Award in recognition of his outstanding efforts in the community and for his ongoing philanthropic work. In 2013, Dirk was named German ambassador for UNICEF with a focus on fighting malnutrition in the world and promoting a healthy lifestyle.

Through the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation, he awards grants annually to organizations focusing on children’s well-being, health, and education, which align with the mission of his foundation. Nowitzki wishes to offer all of us an opportunity to help give positive experiences to children around the world.

Nowitzki played for the German national basketball team from 1997 to 2015. He earned his first medal when he led Germany to a bronze medal in the 2002 FIBA World Cup where he was also names MVP of the tournament. His international career culminated in 2008 when Nowitzki led Germany to a berth in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics. He was chosen to be the flag bearer for the German Olympic Team at the Opening Ceremony in Beijing. 

In 2012, Dirk received the AmCham (American Chamber of Commerce) Germany Transatlantic Partnership Award which honors active, exemplary, and long-term initiatives by German or American individuals and institutions.

After he retired from basketball, Nowitzki became the fourth player in Mavericks franchise history to have his jersey retired when his No. 41 was hung from the rafters of American Airlines Center on Jan. 5, 2022. Nowitzki was also honored as a member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team in February of 2022. 

On Sept. 1, 2022, Nowitzki became the first German men’s basketball player to have his number (14) retired by the German Basketball Federation during the opening day of EuroBasket 2022. On Christmas of 2022, he was honored with a statue of his iconic one-legged fadeaway outside American Airlines Center in Dallas.