Dirk Nowitzki’s speech at the 2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famewas a standout event that transcended the speeches of his remarkable fellow inductees.
With eloquence, the Mavs icon delivered an inspirational universal blueprint for success and artfully dissected his journey, laying bare the core qualities and values that fueled his rise to greatness*.
๐ ๐๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ฆ๐. Dirk kicked off his speech with a quick thanks, then dove right into talking about his inspiring “๐ธ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ & ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐๐.”
๐ ๐๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ก๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ ๐ก ๐๐๐ซ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ง๐ง๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ: “Thank you to Jerry Colangelo and the Hall of Fame for allowing me to live with this feeling of gratitude for months now.”
Research shows that giving a pleasant surprise early, rather than at the last moment, allows more time for enjoyment. If you’re planning a surprise trip to Paris for a loved one, tell them well in advance; the anticipation itself becomes part of the treat.
๐ ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ: “The one guy that comes to mind is my guy, Don Nelson. Nellie… he always saw the game differently and when I came in the league, there were not a lot of coaches that wanted a 7-footer to shoot 3s so my skill set kind of fit perfectly into his system.”
๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ:
โCreativity is worth nothing without leadership"
โCreativity is worth nothing without leadership and the guy that comes to my mind is my friend, Steve,” Nowitzki said of Nash. “You were a great role model to me. Best teammate I ever had. You were always positive, you always encouraged me. We worked our butts off at night, went back to the gym and you became a friend for life. Thank you, my friend.โ
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ง๐๐ฌ๐ฌ: โI had to learn my competitiveness and who better but my guy J-Kidd? Iโll always remember when you came to us, you were already a little older, but you were a warrior,” Nowitzki said of Kidd. “I remember you picking up guys at age 37, 38 picking up guys full court. 94 feet, hustling for us. Making plays on both ends and you were just a wonderful, wonderful all-around player and we won the championship together. We have a bond for life. Thank you so much.”
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ: Dirk went on about Kidd, eliciting laughter from the crowd: โI would have really loved to play together with those two guys in their primes, but unfortunately I had to deal with what they gave me.โ
When he talked about Marc Cuban he joked: “I will always remember when you bought the team and you came to your first practice, you said, โLetโs play some one-on-one. I could play a little bit.โ Of course, I drove left like I always do and I dunked it right on your head,” ๐
๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ: While the NBA players are highly competitive, they do have respect for each other, for other coaches, and for their entire organization. “Thereโs one quality that really holds a team together, and thatโs respect. That embodies the entire class for me, of โ23….Thereโs one guy in this class who I have the utmost respect for and thatโs Coach Pop,” Nowitzki explained. “I will never forget you. You wrote me a handwritten note when we won the championship. What you and your organization did at my last game, Iโll forever be grateful. Thank you, my friend To the whole class: Itโs an honor to go in with you, Iโm truly humbled.โ
๐ ๐๐จ๐ฒ๐๐ฅ๐ญ๐ฒ: Nowitzki who played his entire career in the Mavs credited the owner Mark Cuban, for being instrumental in his career path and for being a believer in his potential after buying the team. โRespect is a great thing if you establish it over a long period of time and you get the quality thatโs more important to me than any other, and that is loyalty. The guy that embodies that for me is my good friend, Mark Cuban. You have a huge heart and you taught me a lot of lessons in loyalty… We had a great friendship and relationship ever since. Thanks for everything youโve done for me and for my family. I appreciate it.โ
๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐๐ง๐ญ๐จ๐ซ๐๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ก๐๐: Nowitzki praised the valuable lessons from various coaches:
- Coach Nelson for his willingness to take a risk, including the choice to acquire his draft rights and to stick with him.
- Coach Carlisle for teaching him how to be detail-oriented. “Coach Carlisle, thank you. You taught me how detail-oriented you have to be to win, really almost obsessive with the attention to detail,… You made us champions and weโll forever be grateful. Thank you.ย The lesson there was, โNothing really works without great preparation.”
- Coach Holger Geschwinder with his unorthodox techniquesserved as a mentor and shooting coach for Nowitzki throughout his NBA career. “And the one crazy that comes to mind is my coach, Holger. You always thought outside the box. I had to walk through the gym in handstands. I had to play the saxophone, I had to play the saxophone while doing the handstand. I mean, what else can I say?”
- “You taught me everything from the jump shot to how to play,” Nowitzki explained. “Early on, motor skills were always more important than strength training and I think that helped me in my longevity. You became my mentor for my entire career and I will always be grateful for what you did for me. Thanks, Holger.โ
- Great coaches inspire you to extend your strengths to their utmost potential. โCoach Avery, you pushed me to become more than a jump shooter. You developed me into more of a complete player and the lesson here is, you made a difference with your intensity and Iโll always be grateful. Thank you so much.โ
- โThe next guy I learned professionalism from is my guy, Michael Finley. You were a true pro, on and off the floor. You let me and Steve grow alongside you and we will always be grateful. Iโm still sad you went to the Spurs in โ06, but we learned so much from you and you became my big brother. Youโre always there for me when I need you, so thank you.โ
๐ ๐๐ญ’๐ฌ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐ญ:
"No one can whistle a symphony, it takes a whole orchestra to play it."
Dirk thanked his teammates and everyone in the Mavs organization including the fans. โNo one can whistle a symphony, it takes a whole orchestra to play it. That orchestra, I was very lucky to have one in Dallas and that quality was team spirit.”
๐ ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฒ:
โTrying new things always leaves you vulnerable and thatโs why you need protection."
- Support: Dirk praised his sister, her family, and his wife and kids. “You guys always looked out for me and you were always there for me when I needed you.
- Humility: “The extremely important message and quality is humbleness and I learned that from my parents, [Helga and Jorg-Werner]. Youโve obviously sacrificed so much and put your lives on hold so I can chase our athletic dreams”
๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐๐ซ๐ง๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ฌ๐๐ญ
"Remember, when youโre green, you grow. When youโre ripe, you rot."
Dirk wrapped up his speech with words of wisdom for his children, imparting wisdom that’s applicable to all of us: “Find your role models who inspire you along the way. Itโs always important in life to always have the drive to improve. To never be satisfied. Always see yourself as someone who wants to learn and not see yourself as someone who knows everything already. Iโve had so many great lessons taught to me by incredible teachers, and you will find them, too. Remember, when youโre green, you grow. When youโre ripe, you rot.”
ย
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* If you aren’t familiar with Dirk Nowitzki, who is listed at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m), he is widely regarded asย one of the greatest power forwards of all time. He was the first European player in league history to receive the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He spent 21 seasons with the Mavs. He was the star of their 2011 NBA first and, so far, only NBA championship, and he finished sixth all-time in NBA history in scoring.
** Personal note: When I was 12, I coached 11-year-olds in basketball after school. One day, a tall man observed my training and came over, surprised that the kids were so attentive to me. He asked if I’d be willing to train them for pay. Unbeknownst to me, he was the general manager of the nation’s second-best premier league team. He arranged for me to join the youth team and receive training every summer to become a youth basketball coach at the national university for sport. This experience shaped my later leadership journey in the army, the corporate world, and now in working with top leaders around the globe.
