By Abby Toralba
BASKETBALL legend Dirk Nowitzki feels the love of Filipino fans who have been very supportive of him, even back in his Dallas Mavericks days.
The German basketball icon who currently serves in the FIBA Central Board graced the FIBA World Cup draw last Saturday.
“Amazing. I met so many fans and supporters here in the last few days. You know, I knew the Philippines loves basketball but I didn’t know it was this crazy. I mean, everybody loves hoops, loves the Mavericks, loves the NBA, it means a lot,” said Nowitzki.
“It’s been an amazing trip. I’ve met so many fans and supporters so it’s been humbling.
This is really special; it’s been a fun trip,” he added.
The soon-to-be Hall of Famer, who won an NBA title with the Mavs, has also played in FIBA events, saying he played with pride and cherished the experience.
“The rules (in FIBA events) are a bit different. The court in the NBA is a little wider, the game is not much as athletic but it’s super hard. And I enjoyed playing in the NBA and I also loved playing in FIBA events every summer I played, whether it’s EuroBasket, World Championships, Olympics,” the 44-year-old super forward said.
“It’s always so much fun, so much pride in representing my country and we had some great success in my career so I’m happy to look back on an awesome FIBA career. It’s been a great run,” he continued.
Nowitzki also gave some advice to NBA hopeful Kai Sotto, who is currently playing in Japan.
“You gotta work on your skills, work on your craft, get your body strong that you can take the pounding in the NBA, but constantly improve. Work on your handles, work on your shot, work on your post moves, it’s hard. The skill level is high in the NBA so every day you gotta work and improve, have the right coaches to show you the stuff and just keep on working,” Nowitzki said.
The Philippines has been grouped with Angola, Dominican Republic, and Italy in Pool A of the World Cup classification stage.
Meanwhile, the final stage of the FIBA World Cup 2023 will now be played at the Mall of Asia Arena, instead of the Philippine Arena.
