18/07/2006
News
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GER - 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the best player of them all?'
::WIN a trip to the FIBA World Championship Finals weekend ::
FRANKFURT (FIBA World Championship) - Dirk Nowitzki had a hard time in the aftermath of the Dallas Mavericks' defeat to Miami in the NBA Finals.
The most valuable player of EuroBasket 2005 with the Germans after leading them to a silver medal, Nowitzki's play had inspired Dallas as they seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. With three seconds remaining, though, and Dallas trailing by two in Game Three, Nowitzki's perfect basketball world began to unravel.
He had to make a pair of free throws to tie the game, which probably would have sent the game to overtime, but the normally reliable shooter at the line sank only one from two, and Miami held on for a narrow win. The Heat then won the next three games to capture their first title, and Nowitzki, despite his heroics during the season, heard criticism from the Dallas media.
Nowitzki, as if he wanted to start over, chopped his long, flowing locks and shaved off his goatee.
"I couldn't look at myself in the mirror after the Finals," he said. "But it didn't help. The frustration is still very hard. Maybe we celebrated too early. We gave away Game Three and we couldn't do anything after that."
Nowitzki took a three-week holiday in the United States.
"I just hung around the pool and let the world pass by," he said.
He then returned to Germany and spent the first couple days at his parents' home in Wurzburg where he filled up on Mama Nowitzki's good German cooking.
Since then, he has been working out with is long-time coach and mentor, Holger Geschwinder. Nowitzki will join up with the German national team on July 26 - two days before the team plays a friendly against Canada in Hamburg as part of their preparations for the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
He has been such a dominant player in his national team career that most in the know expect Nowitzki to carry Germany on his broad shoulders again. The seven-footer says he would have preferred a little more time off before undertaking that task.
"The break wasn't as long as I had imagined," he said. "But I'm looking forward to the national team. I can think about some other things besides the NBA."
Nowitzki did have quite a year for club and country. He led Germany to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade and collected the tournament's MVP award. Nowitzki then went to America and led Dallas deep into the post-season. They had never reached the Finals.
No matter what he says, the NBA is never far from his thoughts. Nowitzki cannot switch off the Mavs entirely. He is considering the offer of a three-year contract extension from the team.
The German Wunderkind is tied to Dallas for the next two years for 15.1 and 16.3 million dollars. Should he accept the offer of an extension, he would remain in the Lone Star State until 2011, with the next three years bringing 59 million dollars.
"Things are good in Dallas. With Avery Johnson, we have a coach who has done a great job and Mark Cuban is one of the best owners in the league," Nowitzki said. "I'm convinced that things will continue to go up."
Nowitzki is also confident things will improve in his own game. He had planned on working with Geschwinder on improving his defence, jumping ability and athleticism. But the NBA Finals and preparations for the 2006 Worlds cut into his plans.
"I want to work off some weight and get back into rhythm," he said.
Geschwinder has always said he has a seven-step plan for Nowitzki to become a perfect basketball player. The former German international said Nowtizki has already reached the sixth step. There are still things to improve, even though he's already become one of the best in the NBA.
"The higher you are on the pyramid, the more difficult it becomes," Geschwinder said. "You always work on the same things, but at a higher level."
David Hein
PA Sport, Frankfurt
FRANKFURT (FIBA World Championship) - Dirk Nowitzki had a hard time in the aftermath of the Dallas Mavericks' defeat to Miami in the NBA Finals.
The most valuable player of EuroBasket 2005 with the Germans after leading them to a silver medal, Nowitzki's play had inspired Dallas as they seized a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. With three seconds remaining, though, and Dallas trailing by two in Game Three, Nowitzki's perfect basketball world began to unravel.
He had to make a pair of free throws to tie the game, which probably would have sent the game to overtime, but the normally reliable shooter at the line sank only one from two, and Miami held on for a narrow win. The Heat then won the next three games to capture their first title, and Nowitzki, despite his heroics during the season, heard criticism from the Dallas media.
Nowitzki, as if he wanted to start over, chopped his long, flowing locks and shaved off his goatee.
"I couldn't look at myself in the mirror after the Finals," he said. "But it didn't help. The frustration is still very hard. Maybe we celebrated too early. We gave away Game Three and we couldn't do anything after that."
Nowitzki took a three-week holiday in the United States.
"I just hung around the pool and let the world pass by," he said.
He then returned to Germany and spent the first couple days at his parents' home in Wurzburg where he filled up on Mama Nowitzki's good German cooking.
Since then, he has been working out with is long-time coach and mentor, Holger Geschwinder. Nowitzki will join up with the German national team on July 26 - two days before the team plays a friendly against Canada in Hamburg as part of their preparations for the FIBA World Championship in Japan.
He has been such a dominant player in his national team career that most in the know expect Nowitzki to carry Germany on his broad shoulders again. The seven-footer says he would have preferred a little more time off before undertaking that task.
"The break wasn't as long as I had imagined," he said. "But I'm looking forward to the national team. I can think about some other things besides the NBA."
Nowitzki did have quite a year for club and country. He led Germany to a silver medal at EuroBasket 2005 in Belgrade and collected the tournament's MVP award. Nowitzki then went to America and led Dallas deep into the post-season. They had never reached the Finals.
No matter what he says, the NBA is never far from his thoughts. Nowitzki cannot switch off the Mavs entirely. He is considering the offer of a three-year contract extension from the team.
The German Wunderkind is tied to Dallas for the next two years for 15.1 and 16.3 million dollars. Should he accept the offer of an extension, he would remain in the Lone Star State until 2011, with the next three years bringing 59 million dollars.
"Things are good in Dallas. With Avery Johnson, we have a coach who has done a great job and Mark Cuban is one of the best owners in the league," Nowitzki said. "I'm convinced that things will continue to go up."
Nowitzki is also confident things will improve in his own game. He had planned on working with Geschwinder on improving his defence, jumping ability and athleticism. But the NBA Finals and preparations for the 2006 Worlds cut into his plans.
"I want to work off some weight and get back into rhythm," he said.
Geschwinder has always said he has a seven-step plan for Nowitzki to become a perfect basketball player. The former German international said Nowtizki has already reached the sixth step. There are still things to improve, even though he's already become one of the best in the NBA.
"The higher you are on the pyramid, the more difficult it becomes," Geschwinder said. "You always work on the same things, but at a higher level."
David Hein
PA Sport, Frankfurt
