Dirk Nowitzki reveals why he wore jersey number 41 / News - Basketnews.com
Nowitzki wanted to wear number 14 because of Charles Barkley in the Barcelona Olympics but Robert Pack already had that number in Dallas and refused to give it up for rookie Dirk. Nowitzki, thus, flipped the number and kept it throughout his NBA career.
Credit: AP - Scanpix Credit AP - ScanpixDirk Nowitzki's NBA career is synonymous with his no. 41 Dallas Mavericks jersey. He has now revealed why he chose such a specific number.
Dirk Nowitzki
Position:PFAge:45Height:213 cmWeight:111 kgBirth place:Wurzburg, GermanyProfileNewsStatisticsBefore the NBA Playoffs Second Round game between the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves, the German Hall of Famer visited the Inside the NBA on TNT show, where he detailed the reasons behind his choice.
It turns out it was highly related to Charles Barkley, who works on the show.
"I started playing basketball with number 11 because my dad had number 11 when he played handball. Then, Charles wore number 14 in the Olympics in Barcelona, and I loved Charles. Honestly, who didn't love Charles back in the day? So I switched to number 14. That's when I stuck with it nationally, I played with number 14," Nowitzki said about the German national team.
"When I came to Dallas, I wanted number 14 but it was Robert Pack. He was like, 'Hell no rookie, you ain't getting my number.' He didn't even want to shoot for it or anything," Dirk remembered. "So I ended up just flipping the number from 14 to 41."
When Nowitzki came into the NBA in 1998, Robert Pack was already in his 8th season in the league, averaging 20+ minutes of playing time. Pack played six more seasons in the NBA after Nowitzki joined the Mavericks.
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