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Dirk Nowitzki!!!!!!!!
Nowitzki was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks for their sixth pick, Robert Traylor . The trade ended up being a steal for Dallas as Nowitzki blossomed into an all-star while Traylor was out of the league in less than five seasons. Nowitzki is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA today. Although there have been numerous German players in the NBA, in 2006 Nowitzki became just the second German -born player (after Detlef Schrempf ) to make it to the Finals . ``	A native of Würzburg , Nowitzki came from an athletic family; his father was a handball player, his mother was a member of the German women's national basketball team, and his older sister played basketball in the United States at Duquesne University . Nowitzki attended Röntgen Gymnasium (high school), and was sporadically recruited by U.S. colleges as a teenager in Germany, and seriously considered attending Pennsylvania State University , but since he was required to do military service in Germany from September 1 , 1997 to June 30 , 1998 , these plans came to nothing. During his time with the military, he was however allowed to continue playing pro basketball over the weekends.	He was first noticed by the NBA world when a team of American pro stars, including Scottie Pippen , Jason Kidd , Gary Payton and Charles Barkley , came to Germany and played an exhibition game against a German national youth team in September 1997. During the game, Nowitzki dunked over Charles Barkley. Barkley saw a future superstar in the gangly German teenager and later admitted to offering to pay him "any amount of money he wanted if he would come to his alma mater, Nowitzki did not truly gain international attention, however, until the March 1998 Nike Hoop Summit in San Antonio, Texas , where he notched 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead a team of international juniors to a surprise victory over a U.S. junior team.
Nowitzki decided to declare for the 1998 NBA Draft at the age of 20. He had a promise from Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino that his team would take him with the 10th overall selection. However, one other team was interested in the German prospect: the Dallas Mavericks , and they selected him just one pick earlier. Technically, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks , but the Bucks were selecting for the Mavericks; the two teams had a pre-arranged deal. The Mavericks had likewise selected Robert "Tractor" Traylor for the Bucks with the sixth pick. Even though the two teams were selecting for each other, the Nowitzki-for-Traylor deal has gone down as one of the most infamous and lopsided trades ever. The Mavericks also got the draft rights to nineteenth-overall pick Pat Garrity , but that same draft, Garrity was traded (along with other players and future draft considerations) to the Phoenix Suns for young point guard Steve Nash . On that night, the Dallas Mavericks acquired the two pieces on which they would build their franchise for years to come. He suffered through nagging ankle injuries in 2003-04 , but still managed to finish in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring, at 21.8 ppg, and added 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He was again selected for the All-Star Game, and again made the All-NBA team, this time on the third team. Nowitzki was one of the Mavericks' few bright spots in a five-game loss to the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2004 playoffs, averaging 26.6 points and 11.8 rebounds for the series.	Mavs GM Don Nelson touted Nowitzki as the sure-fire 1998-99 Rookie of the Year at the draft, a lofty expectation for a 20-year-old who was in the U.S. for the first time. Dallas fans were understandably upset, then, when Nowitzki looked lost when on the floor in mop-up minutes as a rookie. Determined to prove that he could be a force in the NBA, Nowitzki returned to Germany in the 1999 offseason, working hard on sharpening his total game. The summer of work helped immensely, as Nowitzki emerged as a starter and future star in 1999-2000 , when he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, finishing second in voting for the league's Most Improved Player . The following season ( 2000-01 ), he averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds and became the first Maverick to be named to the All-NBA Team , making the third team. In 2001-02 , Nowitzki averaged 23.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game. He was again selected to the All-NBA team, this time on the second team. In the following summer, he played on the German national team that finished third at the FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis and was named the tournament MVP. Before the 2002-03 season , he was named in a survey of NBA general managers as the league's top international player. He met those expectations; he matched his 2001-02 rebound average and increased his scoring average to a career-high 25.1 points. He was again selected to the All-Star Game and the All-NBA second team.	Before the 2004-05 NBA season , Nowitzki's best friend Steve Nash left Dallas and returned to the Phoenix Suns as a free agent after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban declined to match Phoenix's offer. Without Nash, many feared Nowitzki's game would falter, but precisely the opposite occurred. Nowitzki would score 26.1 points a game, a career-high, and net 9.7 rebounds. His 1.5 blocks and 3.1 assists were also career numbers. On December 2 , 2004 , Nowitzki scored 53 points in an overtime win against the Houston Rockets , a career best. Nowitzki was voted to the first team All-NBA squad for the 2004-05 season , although the Mavericks were ousted from the playoffs by the Nash-led Suns. That season Nowitzki also placed third in the league's MVP voting, behind Nash and Shaquille O'Neal . By being elected to the first team All-NBA , Nowitzki became the first player who did not attend a United States high school or college to be on the All-NBA first team. Disappointed in his team's early exit from the playoffs, Nowitzki looked forward to the next season. Teammate Michael Finley was waived over the summer, and now Nowitzki was the last player remaining from the Mavericks' "Big Three" of Nash, Finley, and himself. He was now the unequivocal leader of the team. Under the tutelage of coach and former teammate Avery Johnson , who acceded to the head coach position when Don Nelson stepped down late in the 2004-05 season, Nowitzki made strides in his inside game. Long considered as a "soft" jump shooter in the mold of many European players, Nowitzki cut back on his three-point attempts and concentrated on his inside game. He went on to have another career year, with averages of 26.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He improved his shooting percentage, setting personal season records in field goals (48.0%), three-point shots (40.6%) and free throws (90.1%). On January 3 , 2006 , Nowitzki broke a Mavericks franchise record, previously held by Nash, by making his 50th consecutive free throw. On January 6 , his record streak ended at 60. During the 2006 All-Star Weekend in Houston , Nowitzki scored 18 points to defeat Seattle Supersonics guard Ray Allen in the Three-Point Shootout contest. I received all of this info about Nowitzki on google.

Dirk Nowitzki!!!!!!!!

Nowitzki was selected with the 9th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks for their sixth pick, Robert Traylor . The trade ended up being a steal for Dallas as Nowitzki blossomed into an all-star while Traylor was out of the league in less than five seasons. Nowitzki is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NBA today. Although there have been numerous German players in the NBA, in 2006 Nowitzki became just the second German -born player (after Detlef Schrempf ) to make it to the Finals . ``

A native of Würzburg , Nowitzki came from an athletic family; his father was a handball player, his mother was a member of the German women's national basketball team, and his older sister played basketball in the United States at Duquesne University . Nowitzki attended Röntgen Gymnasium (high school), and was sporadically recruited by U.S. colleges as a teenager in Germany, and seriously considered attending Pennsylvania State University , but since he was required to do military service in Germany from September 1 , 1997 to June 30 , 1998 , these plans came to nothing. During his time with the military, he was however allowed to continue playing pro basketball over the weekends.

He was first noticed by the NBA world when a team of American pro stars, including Scottie Pippen , Jason Kidd , Gary Payton and Charles Barkley , came to Germany and played an exhibition game against a German national youth team in September 1997. During the game, Nowitzki dunked over Charles Barkley. Barkley saw a future superstar in the gangly German teenager and later admitted to offering to pay him "any amount of money he wanted if he would come to his alma mater, Nowitzki did not truly gain international attention, however, until the March 1998 Nike Hoop Summit in San Antonio, Texas , where he notched 33 points and 14 rebounds to lead a team of international juniors to a surprise victory over a U.S. junior team.

Nowitzki decided to declare for the 1998 NBA Draft at the age of 20. He had a promise from Boston Celtics head coach Rick Pitino that his team would take him with the 10th overall selection. However, one other team was interested in the German prospect: the Dallas Mavericks , and they selected him just one pick earlier. Technically, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks , but the Bucks were selecting for the Mavericks; the two teams had a pre-arranged deal. The Mavericks had likewise selected Robert "Tractor" Traylor for the Bucks with the sixth pick. Even though the two teams were selecting for each other, the Nowitzki-for-Traylor deal has gone down as one of the most infamous and lopsided trades ever. The Mavericks also got the draft rights to nineteenth-overall pick Pat Garrity , but that same draft, Garrity was traded (along with other players and future draft considerations) to the Phoenix Suns for young point guard Steve Nash . On that night, the Dallas Mavericks acquired the two pieces on which they would build their franchise for years to come. He suffered through nagging ankle injuries in 2003-04 , but still managed to finish in the top 10 in the NBA in scoring, at 21.8 ppg, and added 8.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists. He was again selected for the All-Star Game, and again made the All-NBA team, this time on the third team. Nowitzki was one of the Mavericks' few bright spots in a five-game loss to the Sacramento Kings in the first round of the 2004 playoffs, averaging 26.6 points and 11.8 rebounds for the series.

Mavs GM Don Nelson touted Nowitzki as the sure-fire 1998-99 Rookie of the Year at the draft, a lofty expectation for a 20-year-old who was in the U.S. for the first time. Dallas fans were understandably upset, then, when Nowitzki looked lost when on the floor in mop-up minutes as a rookie. Determined to prove that he could be a force in the NBA, Nowitzki returned to Germany in the 1999 offseason, working hard on sharpening his total game. The summer of work helped immensely, as Nowitzki emerged as a starter and future star in 1999-2000 , when he averaged 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, finishing second in voting for the league's Most Improved Player .

The following season ( 2000-01 ), he averaged 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds and became the first Maverick to be named to the All-NBA Team , making the third team. In 2001-02 , Nowitzki averaged 23.4 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. He made his first appearance in the NBA All-Star Game. He was again selected to the All-NBA team, this time on the second team. In the following summer, he played on the German national team that finished third at the FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis and was named the tournament MVP.

Before the 2002-03 season , he was named in a survey of NBA general managers as the league's top international player. He met those expectations; he matched his 2001-02 rebound average and increased his scoring average to a career-high 25.1 points. He was again selected to the All-Star Game and the All-NBA second team.

Before the 2004-05 NBA season , Nowitzki's best friend Steve Nash left Dallas and returned to the Phoenix Suns as a free agent after Mavericks owner Mark Cuban declined to match Phoenix's offer. Without Nash, many feared Nowitzki's game would falter, but precisely the opposite occurred. Nowitzki would score 26.1 points a game, a career-high, and net 9.7 rebounds. His 1.5 blocks and 3.1 assists were also career numbers. On December 2 , 2004 , Nowitzki scored 53 points in an overtime win against the Houston Rockets , a career best.

Nowitzki was voted to the first team All-NBA squad for the 2004-05 season , although the Mavericks were ousted from the playoffs by the Nash-led Suns. That season Nowitzki also placed third in the league's MVP voting, behind Nash and Shaquille O'Neal . By being elected to the first team All-NBA , Nowitzki became the first player who did not attend a United States high school or college to be on the All-NBA first team.

Disappointed in his team's early exit from the playoffs, Nowitzki looked forward to the next season. Teammate Michael Finley was waived over the summer, and now Nowitzki was the last player remaining from the Mavericks' "Big Three" of Nash, Finley, and himself. He was now the unequivocal leader of the team.

Under the tutelage of coach and former teammate Avery Johnson , who acceded to the head coach position when Don Nelson stepped down late in the 2004-05 season, Nowitzki made strides in his inside game. Long considered as a "soft" jump shooter in the mold of many European players, Nowitzki cut back on his three-point attempts and concentrated on his inside game. He went on to have another career year, with averages of 26.6 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists. He improved his shooting percentage, setting personal season records in field goals (48.0%), three-point shots (40.6%) and free throws (90.1%). On January 3 , 2006 , Nowitzki broke a Mavericks franchise record, previously held by Nash, by making his 50th consecutive free throw. On January 6 , his record streak ended at 60. During the 2006 All-Star Weekend in Houston , Nowitzki scored 18 points to defeat Seattle Supersonics guard Ray Allen in the Three-Point Shootout contest. I received all of this info about Nowitzki on google.