Dirk Nowitzki gives Germany a go ahead for FIBA Eurobasket – NBA Update
Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki has recently revealed that he will represent Germany in the upcoming Eurobasket tournament in Lithuania. The tournament is scheduled to start from August 31 and is significant because the 2012
Olympic spots will be up for grabs. The two finalists in the tournament will automatically earn a ticket to London, while the teams from the third to sixth position will have to go through a qualification round.
This news comes after the big German had a long and successful NBA season with the Dallas Mavericks, which culminated in the Nowitzki’s first ever NBA championship.
"Gonna represent my country at euro championship this summer," said Nowitzki on his Twitter account. "Should be fun. Gotta start training again next week. Back in Germany now."
Although the Dallas Forward admitted that the break after the NBA season was brief, he also expressed his desire to contribute towards his nation and its young basketball team.
“The rest was short but I would like to help the young German national team to gain success in Eurobasket,” Nowitzki said. “I will do everything to keep fit and I’m looking forward to spending time with the guys.”
Nowitzki will be joined by Chris Kaman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Kaman is expected to forge a formidable alliance with Nowitzki and take some pressure off of the shoulders of the Dallas star.
Dirk Nowitzki also represented his country in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and described it as a moment he will never forget. It was probably the finest moment in Nowitzki’s career, until he happened to win the elusive NBA championship
this year.
However, that has not overshadowed Nowitzki’s love for his national team as he seems more motivated than ever to lead his German team to the 2012 London Olympics. The German star turned 33 in June and stated that this might be
his last opportunity to play at the Olympics.
‘If we’re locked out, I might play this summer,’ he said. ‘We have a qualification coming up for the Olympics again. The Olympics for me in Beijing were so much fun. They were a blast. I’d love to go to London, but we have to qualify
for it first. We have that this summer; if we’re locked out and I know it’s going to be a little longer and I don’t have anything going anyway, I might as well stay in shape and play.’
Dirk Nowitzki has had a long and respectable career in the NBA, with 13 seasons under his belt. He has been a shining star for Dallas as well as for Germany. On the international stage, he has won a Silver medal at the FIBA European
Championships and a Bronze medal at the FIBA World Championships, for Germany. With age catching fast, the might be his last chance to lead Germany in the Europeans championship and ultimately have a shot at Olympic glory.
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