To say that Dirk Nowitzki holds a special place in the hearts of hoop-savvy Germans is an understatement in the same way as saying the Air Force 1 is a reasonably popular shoe. Despite being a long shot, the seven-footer from Würzburg in BSTN’s native Bavaria has put together an NBA career that will not be duplicated any time soon — or maybe ever. Not only was he a fierce competitor and the ultimate team player, but despite fame and fortune, he always remained humble and loyal, perhaps even to a fault. Heck, the only time he ever put on a different jersey was when Marc Cuban changed the C.I. of the Mavericks in 2002.
Twenty-one seasons. One team. Thirty-one thousand five-hundred and sixty points. One championship. Countless memories.
In 2019, Dirk Nowitzki ultimately hung up his jersey. Saying goodbye to the legend is not easy. However, our own Chris “Fu“ Boszczyk tried.
An Open (Love) Letter To Dirk Nowitzki:
Dear Dirk,
thank you for blessing me with this left-handed, game-winning lay-up over Udonis Haslem (and the entire self-proclaimed “Heat Nation”).
I have been a sports nerd all my life and witnessed countless immortal sporting moments. From team Germany blowing out Brasil 7:1 in the 2014 World Cup semifinals, Sergej Bubka doing Sergej Bubka things, Tiger choosing his very own lines and the epic Klitschko vs. Joshua nail-biter. However, no memory is as vivid, and nothing had me as amped as the moment of you sealing the deal on one of the NBA Finals’ greatest comeback stories – with this specific shot.
I remember watching the game in a sports-bar in South Beach with a group of close friends, surrounded by pretentious Miami Heat “fans“ that continuously chanted “Fuck You Dallas“ towards us … until shit hit and the fan and Jet & Dirk went to work, silencing them more and more with every single 4th quarter Mavs possession. At the end of the game (the Heat “fans“ had left fashionably early as always), there were only a couple of chest-bumping Germans left in the bar …
Thank you for giving me this special moment, Dirk! I will pass on the memories to my children one day and tell them bedtime stories about this lanky kid from Würzburg, who changed the game forever. You’re a proper legend mate!
Chris “Fu” Boszczyk, BSTN Co-Founder
