Born on June 19, 1979, Dirk Nowitzki is a native of Germany and currently plays for the NBAs Dallas Mavericks. After applying early for entry into the 1998 NBA Draft, Nowitzki was selected ninth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was immediately traded, however, to the Dallas Mavericks. He struggled during his early career, as many athletes do, but has since risen to become one of the top players in the league.
During his NBA rookie season, Dirk Nowitzki averaged 8.2 points per game. The following year, during the 1999-2000 season, found Dirk finishing second in the NBAs Most Improved Player voting. That season, he played in each of the 82 regular season games and averaged 17.5 points per game, which was more than double his average for the previous season.
By the time the 2000-2001 season rolled around, Dirk Nowitzki became the first player in team history to be selected to the All-NBA team. At that time, he became the teams leading scorer with an average of 21.8 points per game. In the 2001-2002 season, Nowitzkis success continued to grow as he averaged 23.4 points per game. During a bout of misfortune, Dirk Nowitzki suffered an injury to his left...