Dirk Nowitzki ‘can't stand not playing’;
Ready to jump abroad – NBA Update
Dallas Mavericks talisman Dirk Nowitzki has finally come to a decision regarding his future.
The path he has chosen can be a worrying sign for the Dallas Mavericks - if the NBA lockout isn’t ending anytime soon, he will be heading to Europe. The German international star has apparently made up his mind to play elsewhere
rather than sit around and do nothing in the United States.
The forward was sensational last season for the Mavericks, with his trademark shooting devastating opposing teams throughout the campaign. He found another gear in the playoffs and was instrumental in the Mavericks beating strong
favourites Miami Heat in the NBA Finals.
For his troubles, Nowitzki was given the NBA Finals MVP award. He also gained long overdue recognition as one of the greats of the game and instantly became the most marketable NBA star in all the land.
His signature has since been equally coveted by teams around the world, as well as many multi-national companies for sponsorship deals. Nowitzki had told them “no” so far, but now the lockout is forcing him to change his mind at
least in one department.
The 7-foot German wonder has confirmed that he is now going to look at opportunities to play abroad.
"It's going to take me a few weeks to get in basketball shape," Nowitzki said, according to ESPN "but then I'm ready. I can't stand not playing."
Where would he go?
He has a couple of German clubs knocking on his door for a while. Also, if media reports are to be believed, the two major basketball clubs for Spain, Barcelona and Real Madrid, are also keen on the power forward.
The idea of playing for Madrid also excites Nowitzki.
"It's a great club with a great tradition," Nowitzki said of Real Madrid. "I don't know if that's true, but (if the media reports are accurate) that's something you'd have to look at hard.”
He also expressed disappointment on the current state of affairs in the NBA labour dispute. The forward has seen the situation deteriorate as first the training camps were cancelled, then the pre-season and now one and a half months
worth of the regular season have been wiped out.
The union has decided to take NBA owners to court, and the season is now more likely to be lost than saved.
"I still can't believe that we're not going to have a season (in the NBA). I can't see us not playing. But if the lockout still stays strong, I've got a decision to make."
It is the precarious situation which has forced the superstar to consider his options.
"In this situation," Nowitzki said, "you've got to look at every option."
If the season is somehow saved, Nowitzki would still prefer playing in the NBA over Europe, but that possibility is shrinking by the hour.
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