Dirk Werner Nowitzki is a German professional basketball player who currently plays for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association. An alumnus of R�ntgen Gymnasium and the DJK W�rzburg basketball club, Nowitzki was chosen as the ninth pick in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks and immediately traded to the Mavericks, where he has played since. Listed at 7 ft 0 in, Nowitzki plays mostly at power forward, where he has established a reputation as one of the greatest players in basketball history at that position. Nowitzki led the Mavericks to 13 NBA Playoffs, including the franchise's first Finals appearance in 2006 and only championship in 2011. He is a 12-time All-Star, a 12-time All-NBA Team member, and the first European player to start in an All-Star Game as well as the first to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. Nowitzki is ranked 10th in all-time scoring and is one of six players who achieved a 50-40-90 season. He is the first Maverick voted onto an All-NBA Team and holds several all-time Mavericks franchise records. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Nowitzki are the only players to achieve four consecutive 30-point, 15-rebound post-season games. 

June 19th, 1978 in Würzburg (Age 45)