One Shot to Rule Them All
The artform that is Dirk Nowitzki’s jump shot

There was a certain atmosphere inside of American Airlines Center in Dallas on the night of March 7, 2017. The Dallas Mavericks were hosting the LA Lakers in game between two lottery bound teams, but there was a certain buzz going around the arena that day. Dallas’ Dirk Nowitzki got off to a hot start, and a countdown had begun. Once his shots started falling it was certain it would happen that night. Eyeballs were glued to the floor, the crowd’s anticipation was high. Then, early in the second quarter, Nowitzki catches a pass down low with his back to his defender. First he posts up, then pivots once, twice, before turning and extending his body. He raises his arms in familiar fashion before he fades away and lets it go with a kick of his leg. The entire stadium erupts and jumps to their feet; Nowitzki had just joined one of the NBA’s most exclusive clubs by scoring point number 30,000, forever cementing himself as one of the greatest players of all time.
Dirk Nowitzki was born in Wurzburg, West Germany on June 19, 1978, to a mother and father who were both gifted athletes. His mother was a professional basketball player and his father was an international handball player, gifting him his long 7-foot frame. Nowitzki started playing basketball in his early adolescence, and displayed natural ability for such a lanky teenager. This natural ability attracted a mentor for his early years, a former German international basketball player by the name of Holger Geschwindner.

Geschwindner started out giving Dirk lessons a few times a week, teaching the young athlete the game of basketball in an unorthodox way. Geschwindner focused all his time on shooting and passing drills, rather than physical drills and weight training programs. It was during this time when Nowitzki learned many valuable traits that successful athletes possess, such as work ethic and repetition. But most importantly, Dirk began to develop the aspect of his game that would propel him to extraordinary heights: his signature jump shot.
Before long, Geschwindner realized the massive potential he had at hand. He explained to Dirk what his options were; increase his training and compete with the best of the best, or settle for being a German hero. Dirk made his decision a couple days later, and the rest is history.
As Dirk grew older and taller, he began to play with professional German basketball squads. His length and athleticism served him well game in and game out, but his graceful jumpshot was the key to his measured offensive production. His ability to shoot and score with a seemingly effortless stroke resulted in a barrage of recruitment attempts from American college coaches and international basketball clubs. However, Dirk knew he had to test his special shot against the best.
Nowitzki entered the 1998 NBA Draft and was selected ninth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks in a draft day deal that paired him with future MVP Steve Nash. The hours of hard work Dirk put since in his early teenage years were starting to pay off; he would soon be able to showcase to the world his uncanny ability to shoot the ball.

Even though at first Nowitzki struggled with the jump to NBA-caliber opponents, the Mavericks believed in his ability and have held on to Dirk for the entirety of his career. Dirk’s shooting and passing abilities propelled him to be, in a few short years, one of the premier shooters in the league. His polished mechanics and frictionless release earned him countless accolades, including a 2007 MVP award. His consistent jump shot led his squad to a 2011 NBA championship victory over LeBron James and the dominant Miami Heat. At this point in time Dirk had established himself as one of the best shooters in world. He had joined the exclusive 50–40–90 club, when a player finishes a season averaging at or above 50% field goal percentage, a 40% three point rate, and 90% free throw percentage. To say Nowitzki is a great shooter doesn’t scratch the surface of the excellence that it his signature move.

Basketball analysts and fans alike ponder the same question; what makes Dirk’s shot so damn good? Maybe it’s the fluid release he exhibits in every single shot. Maybe it’s the weightless fadeaway he often employs, paired with his long arms and 7-foot frame, or the slight leg kick he has perfected. If you ask Holger Geshwindner, he might tell you it’s the 60 degree shooting angle technique that he taught the young German many years ago. More than likely it is many years worth of devoted practice mixed with dedication fueled by a life of passion for the game of basketball. Combine this with extreme focus on a specific skill that demands meticuous muscle memory, and you have a basic recipe for what made Dirk Nowitzki into the arguably the greatest shooter in NBA history.

