Germany Granted a Golden Opportunity

Dirk Nowitzki wasted no time in announcing that he will play for his homeland, Germany, in the quickly approaching European Championship games.

Mavs fans are concerned about his health...and German fans are concerned about nothing. As both parties should be.

Dirk has never been the kind of player that requires much rest. This decision will reinforce that fact as well as provide him with yet another test of his physical durability.

The European Championship begins on August 31st and he hopes to be playing through September 18th which is the championship game. The two finalists in this tournament will be the qualifiers for the 2012 Olympics in London. Germany is in a group with France, Italy, Serbia, Latvia and Israel.

Dirk has already defeated the powers that be in the United States. Over the past few weeks he has silenced any, and all, rumors about a first-round upset, he dethroned the Lakers in sweep-style, he struck the Thunder with stellar efficiency, and finally he smacked around the new Monstars in Miami.

Now it is time for him to go abroad, with new teammates and make his mark on the globe.

Dirk won't be looking to add to his trophy case. He'll be looking to add to his legacy.

He has officially conquered the NBA, now he's off to conquer the world.

Be a Nowitzness.

One Thing I Hate About You

There are very few things that I absolutely, positively, unquestioningly  HATE. But, this is one of those few things.

No, I'm not saying I hate LeBron James. Because I don't. In fact, I think he has more raw potential than any other NBA player. I think he lacks just two things: maturity and discipline.

That being said, I still don't hate LeBron James. I hate this flop. It epitomizes a lack of respect for the game that is evident in every single flop in professional sports today.

Jeff Van Gundy actually does a commendable job of briefly mentioning the importance of ridding flops from this beautiful game. However, I can't let Jeff Van Gundy get the last word.

So, this post is just an elaboration with visual aids.

Dictionary.com defines the word for us so well:

flop
verb, flopped, flop·ping, noun –verb (used without object)

1. to fall or plump down suddenly, especially with noise; drop or turn with a sudden bump or thud (sometimes followed by down): The puppy flopped down on the couch.

2. to change suddenly, as from one side or party to another (often followed by over).

3. to be a complete failure; fail: The play flopped dismally.

These definitions are surprisingly accurate, even when applied to sporting events. Here are some illustrations of the above definitions:

1. to fall or plump down suddenly, especially with noise

2. to change suddenly, as from one side or party to another

3. to be a complete failure; fail

After watching those, you may have a few more questions or concerns about flopping. For those of you who are new to this tragic topic, I provided you with a set of hypothetical questions followed with my answers for the convenience of your curiosity.

Flopping Q & A

Q: "So, what's the big deal? Who cares if someone flops?"

A: The big deal is--it's not a part of the game. Violently throwing your own body to the ground has never been a component of any sport. The real crime is when a player is rewarded for flopping with a penalty kick or free throws, which can quickly, and unjustly, change the outcome of a game.

Q: "Which sport is flopping the worst in?"
A: Football (soccer for Americans) is definitely the worst. However, it is quickly emerging as a greater issue in basketball too.

Q: "What is the solution to preventing players from flopping?"

A: Fine them for starters, then suspend them if they continue to flop. Each flop should be reviewable upon the conclusion of a game. After reaching a certain number of "flop fines" per season/post-season that player should be suspended from a game.

The Atrocious: The fact that athletes as talented as LeBron James still feel like they have to sell foul calls and get cheap buckets.
The Truth: Flopping should be more embarrassing to the players. It shows disrespect for the game and it is frustrating to watch for any basketball fan. European football leagues actually penalize players for taking dives, but until the NBA starts doing the same, it will continue to be a growing problem in basketball.

The riDIRKulous Dirk Nowitzki

Many people may have forgotten by now, that Dallas Mavericks head coach, Rick Carlisle, made a bold statement about his superstar power forward Dirk Nowitzki just a few weeks ago. His exact words were, "in my opinion, he's a top 10 player in NBA history because of the uniqueness of his game and how he's carried this franchise on his back for over a decade."

To Rick's credit, he did preface that statement with "in my opinion." And to Dirk's credit, he sure as heck played like it while earning his first ring.

Carlisle stating his opinion is so much better than promising an arena full of fans that you will be winning, "not five, not six, but at least seven championships" before you have even played a single game on your new team. *cough Lebron cough*

Now, as you surely heard, Rick and Dirk were both criticized for this comment. It started about...forty-one seconds after the statement was released. For good reason too.

It is a bit early to put Dirk in the top 10 all-time. Personally speaking, I think it's pointless to put ANY active player in a top 10 all-time list because their career is still in progress. I believe all-time greats should be judged based on their entire body of work. But, hey! No one asked me!

Like I said, for Dirk, it's just too soon. However, by the end of his career he may be viewed very differently. Especially if he continues to produce these ridirkulous numbers.

Dirk is without a doubt one of the most consistent, durable, and decorated players to have ever played in the NBA. Let me break each of those categories down for those who don't follow him like paparazzi do to the Kardashians.

   Consistency:
The conclusion of the 2010-2011 regular season marked the 11th season in a row that Dirk led Dallas to 50 wins or more.

Dirk averaged 8.4 points per game his first year in the NBA in only 47 games played. (this season was shortened due to a lockout)

His sophomore year he averaged 17.5.

In his third season he averaged 21.8 points per game. Since then, he has never averaged fewer than 21.8 points per game through the regular season. Meaning, his average over the past ten years has stayed between 21.8 and 26.6 points per game.

If there is one thing you can depend on, it's Dirk droppin' 20+ every time he laces up his size fifteen-and-a-half shoes.

   Durability:
In his 12 full seasons, he has never played fewer than 73 of the 82 regular season games. To be exact, he has played in 968 of 993 regular season games during his career. Oh, and that's just the regular season.

He has added playoff games to his total in each of the last 10 years. So add his 124 playoff games (he has never missed one) and that brings his games played total to 1,092 out of 1,117 games played.

But he's soft! He's soft because he couldn't single-handedly beat the Heat in 2006. Wrong.

Remember that time Carl Landry's face got in the way of Dirk's elbow during a drive to the basket? The time that two of Carl Landry's teeth were embedded in Dirk's elbow...I'll repeat that in case you didn't get it: two of Carl Landry's teeth were embedded in Dirk's elbow. What did he do next? He pulled them out and hit the free throws.

During his recent trip to the finals he played game four with a 101 degree fever. He finished the night with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

Not to mention, he tore the ligament in his middle finger of his non-shooting hand. No big deal for Dirk, he even won a couple games with lefty lay-ins.

Still want to call him soft?

   Decorated:
This list is lengthy. You may want to grab a drink and a snack before you start in on it.

• NBA World Champion 2011
• NBA Finals MVP 2011
• NBA Most Valuable Player (2007)
• 10 time NBA All-Star (2002-2011)
• 11 time All-NBA team (Only Kobe Bryant can match his 11 year streak)
• 4 time first team selection (2005-2007, 2009)
• 5 time second team selection (2002-2003, 2008, and 2010-2011)
• 2 time third team selection (2001, 2004)
• NBA Three-Point Shootout Champion (2006)
• FIBA World Championship MVP (2002)
• EuroBasket MVP (2005)
• 7 time European Player of the Year (2002 - 2008)
• Nowitzki is the only player in NBA history to record over 100 blocks and 150 three pointers in a single season.
• One of five member of the 50-40-90 Club
• This club includes very few NBA players who have average at or above 50% field goal shooting, 40% three-point shooting, and 90% free throw shooting in a single season.
• Other members of this club: Steve Nash, Larry Bird, Mark Price, and Reggie Miller. Ever heard of em?
• One of four players to average 25+ points and 10+ rebounds in his/their postseason career.
• Other members of this club: Bob Pettit, Elgin Baylor, and Hakeem Olajuwon. Ever heard of em?
• Notable playoff totals
• 3,214 postseason points scored (26th all-time - 3rd among active players)
• 25.9 playoff points per game (10th all-time - 4th active)
• 969 free throws made (12th all-time - 3rd active)
• 1,289 rebounds (32nd all-time - 3rd active)
• 21,792 total points scored (23rd all-time - 3rd active)
• Recorded the most free throws made in a game without a miss
•   24 out of 24

Dirk Nowitzki has carried the successes and the struggles of the entire Dallas Mavericks franchise on his back for 13 straight years. He continues to learn, develop, and perfect his game each and every year. He finally achieved his dream of winning it all, and now there's only one thing left to do...do it again.

After taking all those stats in, it sure makes Rick Carlisle look a lot smarter than the national media was giving him credit for. They were far too busy comparing the ring-less LeBron James to Michael Jordan, the greatest of them all.

Assuming Dirk keeps this kind of play up for at least three more years, I can comfortably make the following declarations.

Best shooting big man of all time: Definitely.

Best European player ever in the NBA: Definitely.

Top 10 Power Forward all time: Definitely.

Top 25 NBA player of all time: Definitely.

But the question you want answered is, 'Will Dirk Nowitzki be considered a top 10 NBA player of all time?' I continue to plead the fifth.

For all I know, the pictures below could mark just the beginning of his greatness.
For all I know, he's not done yet.
For all I know, no one knows.

2011 Western Conference Champions: Dallas Mavericks

2011 NBA Champions: Dallas Mavericks

NBA Champs: Brian Cardinal, Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Kidd, Jason Terry, Shawn Marion

Dirk Nowitzki receives NBA Finals MVP trophy from Bill Russell

                                                    TAKE-DAT-WIT-YOU!