The journey to the Nike Hoop Summit 1998

On June 16, 2023, Dirk Nowitzki was a guest at the Top Arbeitgeber Congress in Mainz.

I had the honor of creating a painting for Nowitzki as a guest gift.

Since Nowitzki did his compulsory military service in Mainz until June 1998, I wanted to bring together all his sporting successes from 1998 in the painting.

And here is the story from March 29, 1998:

The journey to the Nike Hoop Summit 1998

In the midst of DJK Würzburg's hotly contested promotion round, Holger Geschwindner approaches Nowitzki on a Sunday evening and lets him in on his plans.

Behind Nowitzki's back, Holger Geschwindner has been clearing a starting spot at the famous Nike Hoop Summit in recent weeks.

So far, only Nowitzki's mother, his teammate Robert Garrett and the Bundeswehr in Mainz, where Nowitzki is currently doing his military service, are privy to his plans.

It takes a little persuasion from Geschwindner, but the next morning he and Nowitzki are on a plane to San Antonio. 

Not everyone on the other side of the pond is enthusiastic about the plans either.

The Mavericks' head coach at the time, Don Nelson, had already seen Nowitzki at a few training sessions and is enthusiastic about his talent.

He is sure that he will draft the young German with the Mavericks - and ideally, no one else will know about him before the draft.

But on March 29, 1998, Nowitzki, wearing jersey number 15, is in the starting five of the world selection.

Geschwindner, who was unable to arrange a seat for himself, was given a chair right next to the players' bench by George Raveling of Nike.

Head Coach Sandro Gamba and Assistant Coach Donnie Nelson thus get to know the distinctive sympathy of Nowitzki's individual coach at an early stage.

Nowitzki himself really blossoms in the second half.

The US team can't find a solution to his length and inimitable shooting touch.

Nowitzki is at the line a total of 23 times, converts 19 of them and sends 5 players of the US team fouled out to the bench.

With 33 points, 14 rebounds and 3 steals, Nowitzki is crowned MVP of the game and gave his first interview in English afterwards.

But even though on one side of the ocean US colleges, top European clubs and NBA clubs have now taken notice of the German, a mid-sized thunderstorm breaks out in Würzburg after the return of the two runaways.