Dirk Nowitzki: The German Wonder

By P. Albert

The first time the NBA saw a European become a star in the league was back when Drazen Petrovic was making headlines with the Nets. Unfortunately, he never had a chance to show his true potential as he was killed in a car accident in 1993. The NBA would continue to see more and more European players enter the league even after Drazen's death, but they were never able to match the star power that he had. That is, until a German by the name of Dirk Nowitzki entered the league.

Nowitzki entered the league back in 1998 when he was chosen by the Milwaukee Bucks with the ninth overall pick. However, he was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft day in exchange for Robert Traylor. Prior to entering the NBA Draft, Nowitzki declined several offers from colleges who were interested in acquiring him. He became a prep-to-pro player who decided to immediately pursue an NBA career, and this was pretty rare back then.

Dirk struggled during his rookie season and many thought that he was a complete draft bust. However, he refused to give up and by his second year in the league, his statistics had greatly improved. Playing under the guide of Don Nelson, Dirk was quickly becoming one of the league's rising stars. He became a part of the Dallas' Big Three, which consisted of himself, Steve Nash, and Michael Finley. The Big Three were nearly unstoppable on offense and helped lead the Mavs to the playoffs for five consecutive seasons (2000-2004).

But Nowitzki would eventually find himself the only remaining piece of the Big Three by the 2004 season as his close friend Steve Nash had become a free agent and signed with the Phoenix Suns. The task of becoming the team's leader was now placed on Dirk's shoulders and although he struggled adjusting to the leadership role at first, he has since taken it in stride.

Under his leadership, the Mavs would make their very first NBA Finals appearance in 2006 where they would lose to the Miami Heat in six games. He would receive a chance at redemption, as the Mavericks would make their second finals appearance in 2011 against the very same team that beat them back in 2006. This time though, the result would be different as the Mavs came out on top and Dirk finally won his first NBA championship.

Through the years, Dirk has become one of the most unstoppable players in the league because of his versatility. Once his career comes to an end, he will be regarded as the greatest European player to have ever step foot in the NBA.

P. Albert is huge sports fan. Are you a Dirk Nowitzki fan or do you love basketball as much as me? Head over to AllSportsPeople for an entire listing of not only your favorite basketball players, but for profiles of athletes from various sports - soccer, MMA and even wresting entertainers as well. Come visit us today.

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Scottie Pippen: Versatility Personified

By P. Albert

The Chicago Bulls once had the pleasure of having the greatest player of all time lead them to 6 NBA championships. Throughout all those championship quests, Michael Jordan had a trusted ally in Scottie Pippen. Scottie Pippen is regarded as one of the greatest one-on-one defenders of all time and many basketball pundits always mention how Jordan may not have been able to win anything without Scottie by his side. This of course is still a highly debatable topic, but for now let us focus on the kind of impact that Scottie Pippen was able to leave in the game of basketball.

The 6'9" Pippen was drafted 5th overall by the then Seattle Supersonics, now Oklahoma City Thunder, during the 1987 NBA Draft. His rights were immediately traded to the Bulls for Olden Polynice along with a future pick in the draft. During his first year with the Bulls, Pippen was primarily used as a backup for Charles Oakley and Brad Sellers, but by the following year he had earned the starting small forward spot. Pippen would continue to grow and improve as a player under the tutelage of Phil Jackson and the leadership of Michael Jordan.

Back then, Pippen and Jordan often played one-on-one against each other after practice so that they could each hone their individual skills. By the turn of the decade, Pippen had already established himself as one of the NBA's premiere forwards and defenders. He would be instrumental in helping the Bulls through the Eastern Conference Finals two consecutive times from 1989 to 1990, however they would fall to the Pistons in each of those years with Pippen suffering a migraine during game 7 of the 1990 East Finals.

By 1991 to 1993, Pippen had emerged as the Bulls premiere defensive threat and was also a pretty competent scorer as well. He helped guide the Bulls to their first three-peat from 91 to 93 and in each of those series he was assigned to guard the opposing team's best player. Questions about whether or not Pippen could lead the Bulls without Jordan were quickly answered when he helped lead them to a 55-27 record in 1994, a year after Jordan's first retirement.

Even without MJ, Pippen had already cemented his status as one of the league's true superstars and one which a team could build around. Those of us who got to watch Jordan play alongside one of the greatest small forwards of all time should truly feel blessed to have witnessed such a talented athlete.

P. Albert is huge sports fan. Are you a Scottie Pippen fan or do you love basketball as much as me? Head over to AllSportsPeople for an entire listing of not only your favorite basketball players, but for profiles of athletes from various sports - soccer, MMA and even wresting entertainers as well. Come visit us today.

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