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Dirk Nowitzki talked to us (Part III)
FiveMagazine.com sat down for a long chat with Dallas Mavericks and Germany star Dirk Nowitzki. Here is part three of a three-part interview where the former NBA MVP talks about youth development in Germany, getting a rest instead of playing at the 2009 EuroBasket in Poland, the 2012 Olympics and Steffen Hamann taking over a leadership role for Germany.
Do you talk to German national team coach Dirk Bauermann or the officials with the German basketball federation (DBB) about the long on-going problems with the youth development in Germany? Do you try and find out what’s being done for the youth in Germany?
Well, I’m pretty far away. When I hold a couple of camps in the summer it’s nice and helpful. But it doesn’t really do a lot on a wide scale. I talked to (DBB) sports director Wolfgang Brenscheidt about the youth here. But it is a tough topic. The DBB and the (German league) Bundesliga have not really worked together optimally in years – some times even against each other.
This summer there is the 2009 EuroBasket in Poland. Say you don’t play, should fans worry about the German national team falling into a deep hole? Chris Kaman would likely also not play and many veterans have already retired or said they are thinking about it. A newly-formed team would likely only be second-class and have major difficulties qualifying for the 2010 World Championships. Wouldn’t that be the end of your German national team career? Or would you want to play again in 2010 in a EuroBasket qualifying tournament?
I think that I definitely need a break this summer. The problem is not really the tournaments. It’s more the five or six weeks of preparations ahead of time that I do with Holger Geschwindner. That is getting more and more difficult for me over the years. In an interview with the (German tabloid daily) Bildzeitung, I was misinterpreted. It sounded like I would play if I didn’t have to take part in the preparations with the team. That’s not what it’s about. My personal preparations are the problem. It would be great if I could just come to the team and say: “Here I am, I’m the greatest. And I’ll take care of everything.” But of course it doesn’t work like that. I need to train for weeks and really hard to be top fit for a big tournament. And at the moment, finding that motivation for those weeks of preparations is the problem. It has been okay the past two years. Last summer I only had one week off after the NBA season before I began preparing for (the Olympic qualifying tournament in) Athens. But that was okay because I had my sights set on my big goal, the Olympics. I know the whole situation with Chris Kaman. And that’s really a shame. But I really need a break. In one or two years I have to see how I feel physically. A lot depends on how long I am in the playoffs with the Mavericks. Of course, I hope we don’t get bounced in the first round again.
Are the 2012 Olympics in London a goal for you?
The Olympics were so much fun for me. Of course it’s a goal! If I am healthy and I’m still having fun, then I would definitely like to try again. If we have to go to the EuroBasket qualifying and then head to deep Russia for a home and away series, well that won’t exactly be fun, but whatever it takes.
While you were in Beijing, did you as a team talk about the future and the past?
Yeah. After the game against the United States, we bid farewell to Patrick Femerling and Pascal Roller, who had said they were retiring. There were some hugs and we remembered some of the good times we had together over the last few years. Besides Patrick and Pascal, Demond Greene also said he wouldn’t play anymore because of his two kids. And I think Robert Garrett will probably retire too. Steffen Hamann will definitely keep going. And Jan Jagla too. And Sven Schultze told me he wanted to stay in the team. And now it’s time for the young kids to come in.
Who will take over the leadership role in the team when you’re not there?
Steffen will have an important role as playmaker. He has to distribute the ball and also score more points and go to the basket more. Jan has shown that he can score at the European level. Those two will probably be the focal points. And then there is Sven, who for me is the best role player around. He is always in a good mood and positive and firing up his teammates. He is an important factor and hits his shots when he is open. And he uses his will and desire to make up for the problem that he’s not really a small forward or power forward. Against the U.S. he even gave Dwyane Wade problems. And Dwight Howard during the game said something like: “Man, you can’t be pushing me around!” You can always use a guy like Sven.
So, you have now turned 30 years old. Have we already seen the best Dirk Nowitzki? Or can you still get better?
My goal is to always get better and still add more weapons to my arsenal. Physically, I think we have already seen the best Nowitzki. Back in Belgrade in 2005 at the EuroBasket and in the 2006 NBA Finals. I have never been in that kind of shape before or since. It didn’t matter what I did the day before, I just always kept going. In the playoffs against San Antonio I played the best basketball of my life, constantly scoring against their great defense. Then in Game 7, I had 37 points and 15 rebounds. I am still in great shape. And I think I can still play at the highest level for the next three years. You get cleverer, and I hope I can add new things to my game. There are still things to come. For example the hook shot. It’s falling pretty good in practice. But that’s against no competition. It’s something else in a game.
