Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is undoubtedly one of the most successful non-American players in the world. His professional basketball career dates back to 1994 in Germany, and he has won a lot of accomplishments both inside and outside the NBA.
Still, the 14-time All-Star refuses to admit that he's the greatest international player of all-time, despite the fact that millions of people see him that way.
In an interview with Dwain Price of Mavs.com, the 7-foot German said there are a lot of international players that deserve more recognition, and they are the reason why he won't consider himself the greatest among them.
“I would never say that myself. There are so many great players that I respect, starting with (Detlef) Schrempf, obviously who is German, (Toni) Kukoc and (Drazen) Petrovic, who obviously his career got cut so short, unfortunately. (Vlade) Divac. There’s too many to mention – players that I respected kind of. . .paved the wave the way for me. And if I helped change the game in a way or helped some Europeans down the line, then that’s obviously an honor and that’s great.”
Despite having an illustrious career, the Nowitzki remains humble. Even after playing 21 years with the Mavs, he still thinks that he's been given too much recognition even though he rightfully deserves them.
In what could be his final season in the NBA, Nowitzki is just making the most out of every opportunity given to him. The Mavs great had an all-out participation in the All-Star weekend, where he served as coach of Team World in the Rising Stars Challenge, participated in the 3-point shootout, and suited up as an honorary pick for Team Giannis.
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