﻿Today, everyone knows Dirk Nowitzki as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He scored more points than Wilt Chamberlain and will soon be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But back in the spring of 1998, Dirk’s talent was not so obvious. He was a 19-year-old wunderkind who was dominating the 2nd division of Germany’s pro league. Was he really ready for the NBA? The Mavericks and the Celtics both thought so. Each team wanted him, but Dallas was able to maneuver themselves into the perfect position to get him.CREDITSRick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voiceJacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC"Panzerlied" by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle"Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK<a href="https://sportshistorynetwork.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sportshistorynetwork.com</a><a href="https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/</a> FACEBOOK<a href="https://m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/</a> BUSINESS CONTACT<a href="mailto:bballhistory101@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">bballhistory101@gmail.com</a>

﻿Today, everyone knows Dirk Nowitzki as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He scored more points than Wilt Chamberlain and will soon be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But back in the spring of 1998, Dirk’s talent was not so obvious. He was a 19-year-old wunderkind who was dominating the 2nd division of Germany’s pro league. Was he really ready for the NBA? The Mavericks and the Celtics both thought so. Each team wanted him, but Dallas was able to maneuver themselves into the perfect position to get him. CREDITS Rick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voice Jacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher MUSIC "Panzerlied" by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle "Horizons" by Roa SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK sportshistorynetwork.com sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/ FACEBOOK m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/ BUSINESS CONTACT bballhistory101@gmail.com

﻿Today, everyone knows Dirk Nowitzki as one of the greatest players in NBA history. He scored more points than Wilt Chamberlain and will soon be inducted into the Hall of Fame. But back in the spring of 1998, Dirk’s talent was not so obvious. He was a 19-year-old wunderkind who was dominating the 2nd division of Germany’s pro league. Was he really ready for the NBA? The Mavericks and the Celtics both thought so. Each team wanted him, but Dallas was able to maneuver themselves into the perfect position to get him.CREDITSRick Loayza: Head researcher, writer, and voiceJacob Loayza: Editor, producer, and publisher&nbsp;MUSIC"Panzerlied" by Oberleutnant Kurt Wiehle"Horizons" by Roa&nbsp;SPORTS HISTORY NETWORK<a href="https://sportshistorynetwork.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">sportshistorynetwork.com</a><a href="https://sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/" rel="noopener noreferrer">sportshistorynetwork.com/podcasts/basketball-history-101/</a>&nbsp;FACEBOOK<a href="https://m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/" rel="noopener noreferrer">m.facebook.com/Basketball-History-101-103801581493027/</a>&nbsp;BUSINESS CONTACT<a href="mailto:bballhistory101@gmail.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">bballhistory101@gmail.com</a>

Episode 157 - The Drafting of Dirk Nowitzki

I am your author and host, Rick Loayza. This is the blog and podcast where we bring to life some of the forgotten stories from basketball history.
I love basketball. I love watching it. I love reading about it. I love learning about its history. I am, for all intents and purposes, a basketball junkie. I’ve coached all three of my kids in youth basketball. In fact, I still coach my youngest each winter. Something just happened to me when I was 11 where I was bitten by the basketball bug. And starting then, I just couldn’t get enough of this amazing game.
And the purpose of this podcast and blog is to bring back some of the old stories from basketball’s history. I want to bring you a new story each week from the older days of basketball before there were 22 cameras and instant highlights on your device. Of course, any story from anywhere in basketball history is up for grabs. But I want the focus to be on those stories that are interesting and impactful but long forgotten.
I’ll be covering stories going all the way back to the invention of the game in the 1890s, to the barnstorming days of basketball in the 1920s and 30s, to the creation of the current NBA in the 1940s and beyond.
So, if you love basketball as much as I do, or you just want to hear a few stories from basketball’s past, then go ahead and subscribe to the podcast and come back to this blog to hear or read a new story each week.
For me, this is a labor of love as I get to work with my older son, Jacob Loayza, who serves as my editor and producer. Until next time…

Sports

History

Basketball

I am your author and host, Rick Loayza. This is the blog and podcast where we bring to life some of the forgotten stories from basketball history. I love basketball. I love watching it. I love reading about it. I love learning about its history. I am, for all intents and purposes, a basketball junkie. I’ve coached all three of my kids in youth basketball. In fact, I still coach my youngest each winter. Something just happened to me when I was 11 where I was bitten by the basketball bug. And starting then, I just couldn’t get enough of this amazing game. And the purpose of this podcast and blog is to bring back some of the old stories from basketball’s history. I want to bring you a new story each week from the older days of basketball before there were 22 cameras and instant highlights on your device. Of course, any story from anywhere in basketball history is up for grabs. But I want the focus to be on those stories that are interesting and impactful but long forgotten. I’ll be covering stories going all the way back to the invention of the game in the 1890s, to the barnstorming days of basketball in the 1920s and 30s, to the creation of the current NBA in the 1940s and beyond. So, if you love basketball as much as I do, or you just want to hear a few stories from basketball’s past, then go ahead and subscribe to the podcast and come back to this blog to hear or read a new story each week. For me, this is a labor of love as I get to work with my older son, Jacob Loayza, who serves as my editor and producer. Until next time…

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Episode 157 - The Drafting of Dirk Nowitzki

Episode 157 - The Drafting of Dirk Nowitzki

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