Dirk Nowitzki‘s illustrious career didn't start as bright as most think it did. A lanky, blond-haired 7-footer from Germany played a mere 20.6 minutes per game and averaged only 8.2 points per game while shooting an erratic 40.5 percent from the field and 20.6 percent from deep during his rookie year.
A then 20-year-old Nowitzki was far from the team's cornerstone player and has strides to make before becoming a consistent presence in the rotation. Nowitzki was the best in his native country Germany, but had to prove himself in the league, and most importantly prove those who traded for him on draft night that it was a choice they wouldn't regret.
“I came into this league when I was 20, and I didn’t know if I was going to make it,” Nowitzki told TNT's David Aldridge. “I wasn’t the most confident guy, like you see these young guys walking in here now, thinking the league owes them. I was not like that. I was worried. My first year, when things weren’t going well, I was even thinking about going back to Europe. You have doubts in your head.”
Nowitzki would go on to more than double his scoring average in his sophomore year, putting up 17.5 points with a .461/.379/.830 shooting line and shaping himself into the perimeter nightmare he would be for the rest of his career.
The 38-year old recently became one of only six players to pass the 30,000-point mark in NBA history, still a factor in the franchise's starting lineup after 19 long years since being drafted in 1998.
“To be standing here 19 years later and be one of the six to ever score 30,000, it’s been bizarre. It’s been surreal. It’s been a crazy ride,” said Nowitzki. “I’ve been fortunate, with a great owner, with a great coach in the beginning who gave me a lot of confidence in Nellie (Don Nelson), great teammates, starting with Steve (Nash) and Mike (Finley), and J-Kidd obviously helping me get the ring. Am I comfortable? It’s been a crazy ride. And I’ve enjoyed every minute of it.”
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