The Dallas Mavericks recently unveiled their fourth international renovated basket court in partnership with Dirk Nowitzki. This court was personal for Nowitzki, as it was in his hometown of Wurzburg, Germany.
The unveiling of the court was timed to coincide with the 20th anniversary of Dirk Nowitzki-Stiftung,
the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation’s branch in Germany.
“Sports shaped my life – through success and failure, through teamwork, confidence and trust,” Nowitzki said. “With the Dirk Nowitzki-Stiftung, I want to empower kids through sports, education and strong communities for them to discover their strengths and make the most of their opportunities – in sports and in life. I’m deeply grateful to the Dallas Mavericks for gifting this new court to my hometown of Würzburg in honor of our 20th anniversary.”
The Mavericks have completed similar court renovation projects in Slovenia, Spain, and Mexico.
“Dirk is not only a Mavericks and NBA legend, he is an international basketball legend,” Mavericks CEO Rick Welts said. “What he has done for the game of basketball in Germany and across the globe has made a significant impact, and we are proud to be a part of celebrating his legacy.”
Two things stuck out to me with this news. First, the Mavericks’ relationship with Dirk Nowitzki has been a little strained since the Luka Doncic trade, so it’s encouraging to see that things haven’t devolved into an outright cold war between the franchise and their legendary superstar. Nowitzki is still willing to participate in community outreach with the team, and wants to be part of the culture in Dallas.
Second, I will never get tired of seeing the Dirk fadeaway logo. It’s very cool and I wish there was more merch with it available to buy. I’m interested in handing over a lot of my hard-earned cash for Dirk fadeaway tee’s, hats, and hoodies. Someone please make this happen.
