Having recently concluded 21 memorable seasons in the NBA, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki has unquestionably become a household name throughout the country. According to a recent report, the retired Mavs big man intends to take his love affair with the nation a step further by becoming a citizen of the United States.
Speaking to Brad Townsend of SportsDay, the future Hall of Famer confirmed how he is now embarking on the arduous path to becoming a US citizen:
“We're in the process of getting a green card,” Nowitzki said of he and his Swedish-born wife, Jessica. “So once we accomplish that, then you have to be a green-card holder for, I think, over five years before you can even think about doing that [becoming a U.S. citizen]. So we're going to do that and see how it goes. But obviously our [three] kids were born here and they all have U.S. passports and the wifey and I have been on a visa for the last few years. So hopefully that's going to be accomplished soon.”
While his love for his native of Germany will forever hold a place in his heart, Nowitzki went to say that his decision to becoming a citizen is motivated primarily by their three kids:
“But we're living here,” Nowitzki said. “This is where life is. We're going to continue to travel a lot in the summers, but once the school year starts, my oldest [daughter Malaika] is going into first grade next year.”
Dirk had a tremendous run during his time in the NBA, and he was pivotal in keeping one of America's favorite sports in the limelight. Perhaps it is due time that the country gets him back for everything he did in his career.
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