Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki has played 21 years in the NBA, a career that's nothing but legendary to most of the fans. The sweet-shooting German has accomplished a lot during his run, and now that he's almost at the finish line, fellow players, especially those who came from outside the United States, can't help but appreciate the things that he's done to inspire them.
San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills recently told San Antonio Express News' Jeff McDonald that Nowitzki was able to give confidence to the international players who were aspiring to make it to the NBA.
“Hope that international players can make it in the NBA and have a career. There’s not a lot of Dirks out there, if any. But it gives hope, even for a 6-foot Australian guy, that you can make it in the NBA.”
The number of international players who are making it to the NBA continues to grow. This season, 108 players from outside the United States were on opening-night rosters. Mills, who is an Australian, is one of them.
There's no denying that Nowitzki was able to accomplish a lot in his career, but to some people, he's more than just a success story, he's an inspiration. He gave a lot of international players the confidence that they need to make it to the most popular basketball league in the world.
It's not a coincidence that Nowitzki is playing for the Mavs, the team with a league-leading eight international players. They are set to face the Spurs on Tuesday, a team that has four international players.
Follow Us
Subscribe