Dirk Nowitzki is regarded as a Dallas Mavericks legend. The former superstar led Dallas to a 2011 NBA Finals victory and helped to revolutionize the game as a big man who could stretch the floor. Before all of the praise, however, there was a time when Nowitzki faced scrutiny.
In the 2006-07 season, Nowitzki led Dallas to the playoffs. The Mavs finished as the No. 1 seed but were upset by the No. 8 seed Golden State Warriors in the first round of the postseason. Although Dirk ended up being selected as the NBA MVP for the 2006-07 campaign (24.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, 3.4 APG), many questioned whether or not Nowitzki had what it took to lead a team to an NBA Finals victory.
As we know now, Dirk Nowitzki was indeed able to get the job done. In 2007, though, that question was constantly being asked. Nowitzki faced backlash from the media and even some fans.
How did Nowitzki respond? Well, he needed to take some time away, something that resulted in a trip to Australia.
Dirk Nowitzki explains Australia trip
In an interview with Marc Stein (who was with ESPN at the time) in 2007, Nowitzki explained why he made the trip to Australia after winning the MVP award.
“First of all, I always wanted to see Australia,” Nowitzki said. “But I really just wanted to get away [after the Golden State series]. Hopefully, our season is never going to be that short again, so this was my chance to get away for a good four or five weeks. It seemed like Australia was the best spot to go.
“Nobody cares about the MVP down there. It wasn’t hard at all [traveling] around. It was great, actually.”
Nowitzki later added that he went camping and also slept in a car some nights. Dirk even grew a full beard.
“I grew a full beard,” Nowitzki said. “I shaved the night before we left and then I said that I’m not even going to take a razor. After about three weeks, I had a full beard and I couldn’t even look at myself. But I had to keep it until I got back to Germany. I wanted everybody [in the family] to see it.”
Nowitzki made the trip with his mentor. It seems as if visiting Australia gave Dirk an opportunity to think deeply about his situation at the time. It was similar to simply hitting the reset button.
Although some media members continued to criticize Dirk Nowitzki throughout the summer, the Mavericks star was ignoring the noise in Australia. Some questioned his decision to visit Australia instead of getting in the gym and working on his game. However, the decision ultimately paid dividends.
Nowitzki leads Mavericks to championship four years later
Nowitzki maintained an optimistic mindset during his post-Australia trip interview with ESPN.
“I know I’m almost 30, but I feel like I still have a lot of good years left in me. I don’t think [last season] was the last chance [to win a championship].”
Sure enough, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks earned a championship four years later when Dallas upset the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals. Nowitzki ended up having a Hall of Fame career as well. He cemented his legacy in 2011, though, and now a statue stands outside of the American Airlines Center in his honor.
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