Dirk Nowitzki 's basketball career spanned around 25 years. During that time, the Dallas Mavericks icon participated in many training camps, some of which were surely very demanding.
However, for 'Dirkules,' all of that paled in comparison to a particular experience in the late 1990s—his military service back home in Germany.
"I had to do to few months of basic training. That was really hard, harder than any basketball training camp I've ever done," Nowitzki recounted, per SLAM Magazine .
Nowitzki's army stint
Nowadays, Dirk is a bonafide NBA Hall of Famer. However, back in September 1997, although being a big talent for DJK Würzburg, hardly anyone knew of Nowitzki. Therefore, no special treatment was handed out when it was time for military service. As a result, the tall, blond-haired youngster headed to the Kurmainz Barracks for basic training.
"The two first months, we had to get up at 5.am., run a couple of blocks, do some pushups and stuff, then go to food. All day long, we didn't even have a break," remembered the 2007 MVP.
The military service, which Germany abolished in June 2011, was initially meant to last 10 months for Dirk. However, after a while, it was decided that a more lenient approach would be taken in his case.
Leniency paved the way for Dirk's NBA journey
This came after Dieter Herrmann, overseeing approximately 50 sports soldiers at the time, had a conversation with Nowitzki's mentor, Holger Geschwindner.
"He [Geschwindner] explained to me the significance Dirk already had, that he was being observed by scouts from America and was on the verge of making the leap to the NBA," recounted Herrmann, per Merkurist .
The 14-time All-Star, who impressed everyone with his nice and friendly character, could therefore take it more relaxed. For example, Nowitzki did not have to deal too much with "military matters," as Herrmann shared.
Furthermore, as part of the sports promotion group, 'Dirkules' enjoyed the privilege of being released for training and competitions. This allowed the rising star to continue playing regularly for his team in the German second basketball league, and he completed his military service at the end of June 1998.
Not long after, the seven-footer was selected ninth overall in the NBA Draft and was immediately tarded to Dallas. Dirk won an NBA championship with the Texan franchise in 2011 and is now regarded as one of the best European players ever.
Related: Kwame Brown on how Michael Jordan bullied him in Washington: "They used to bring veterans into practice to beat the crap out of me"
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