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‘She’s mostly embarrassed’: Dirk Nowitzki reveals daughter’s epic reaction ahead of NBA Hall of Fame induction
NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki will be officially inducted into Hall of Fame on Saturday.
Dirk Nowitzki, one of the greatest international players ever to play in the NBA, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in April this year. Nowitzki, along with Pau Gasol, Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich, Dwyane Wade, and the 1976 US Olympic Women’s basketball team, will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday. Ahead of the prestigious induction, Nowitzki shared his feelings about the accolades. The former Dallas Mavericks star revealed that his daughter is “mostly embarrassed” about the hype surrounding her father.
“They always watch me towards the end of my career and all they know is: ‘Papa, you were so slow.’ I go to YouTube and it’s all grainy, it’s still films. But I try to pull up some stuff from the early 2000s. But they’re not really having it. I think my daughter understands the most, she’s 10 now and I think she’s mostly embarrassed about the whole hoopla or when people recognize me when we travel and she goes: ‘Oh, God,’ and she just walks the other way,” Nowitzki said at a press conference.
Nowitzki, who was the first European player to win the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award, spent his entire career representing the Dallas Mavericks. Nowitzki guided the Mavericks to their first and solitary NBA championship in 2011. “In 2011, I was the finisher I needed to be in the final moments. In ’06 and ’07 I just wasn’t quite there yet to make the big baskets. It wasn’t fun to go through those years when we were favorites but it’s part of my journey and it made me a better player and person for sure,” Nowitzki told NBA.com earlier this month.
In his illustrious career, the German recorded 35,223 points. Only five players – LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan – have succeeded in scoring more points than Nowitzki. He went on to represent the Mavericks across 21 seasons- only John Stockton had played in more seasons for one particular NBA team. Nowitzki carried the Mavericks to 15 play-offs (2001-2012, 2014-2016).
Overall, he was a 12-time All-NBA selection, a 14-time All-Star, 2007 MVP, 2011 champion and Finals MVP. Nowitzki announced his retirement in 2019. The city of Dallas honoured the 45-year-old by officially naming a street, near the American Airlines Center, after him four years back. The Mavericks even unveiled a bronze statue of Nowitzki in front of the American Airlines Center – their home venue. The statue depicts Nowitzki’s iconic one-legged jump shot.
