Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki was not always the wise leader younger players looked up to. Coming from a European culture, he too was once unfamiliar with the ins and outs of the league, and even moreso, of the prerequisites needed for becoming his team's undisputed leader both on and off the court.
Nowitzki recently shed some light on this particular journey of his, sharing how former teammates Steve Nash and Michael Finley helped him become the highly regarded player he once was in the Mavs' locker room:
“They really showed me how to be a true pro on the court and work hard, but also be a great leader in the community and have a foundation and be active and make a difference in the community, so I always thank those two guys,” Nowitzki said, via Dwain Price of Mavs.com. “I came here (from Germany) as a kid really — when I was 20 years old — and I didn’t really know anybody, and I learned to love this place.
“I had some great role models on the team that I wanted to strive to be like them.”
It is worth noting here that when Dirk spoke about leadership, his reference went beyond the confines of the basketball court. In his mind, being an exemplary leader requires taking advantage of one's position to touch and help improve the lives of the people in the community.
Nowitzki is indeed one-of-a-kind, and by giving due credit to his former teammates here, he further illustrates yet another crucial characteristic any successful leader must possess — humility.
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