Dirk Nowitzki is getting very close to the NBA again. The 2011 champion wants to bring his expertise to the new global rights holder Amazon Prime for the coming season – and is looking forward to the task.
The steps into his new career lead Dirk Nowitzki back into the spotlight of the NBA – and the heart of the American dream factory. In Culver City, a prominent place in film history southwest of downtown Los Angeles, the best German basketball player in history strolls in amazement through the ultra-modern TV studio of “Amazon Prime”.
Cameras are aimed at the expert desk where Nowitzki will give his assessments for a global audience. An elaborate light construction hangs from the ceiling, there is a bar, a lounge area and a basketball hoop is a must. The areas are spacious and open, and the innovative studio technology is intended to set standards.
NBA legend Nowitzki honest: “I’m a little nervous”
“I’m a little nervous and starting to get a little restless, I’ve never filled a role like this before,” Nowitzki told “SID” at the Amazon launch event before the start of the NBA season next week: “But I’m very excited and think that we have a great team. I’m looking forward to it.”
Nowitzki, 2011 champion with the Dallas Mavericks, is one of several experts that the streaming giant has secured for its new prestigious project. For the next eleven years, Amazon Prime will be the global TV partner of the best basketball league in the world and wants to take the broadcast to a new level, both technically and interactively. Nowitzki and old companions like Steve Nash, Dwyane Wade and Blake Griffin should give the partnership a face and identity with their popularity and expertise.
“I think that we really have good chemistry, can tell a little bit about things and share our experiences,” said the 47-year-old Nowitzki: “I just hope that we have fun and that the viewers like the show. That’s of course the most important thing.”
Nowitzki ended his NBA career in 2019
Nowitzki comes closer to the big NBA hustle and bustle than he has in years. “Dirkules” ended his active career in 2019. Since then, he has enjoyed life with his family, taken care of social projects and stopped by the 2023 Basketball World Cup or the Olympics in Paris – but otherwise stayed in the background, including as an advisor to the Mavs, which he has been serving as since 2021.
“It’s nice to be closer to the sport again. I’m fully involved again, of course I’m watching a lot more games now and have already prepared a bit,” said Nowitzki: “I’m just looking forward to the season next week, to see how the show goes, how it develops.” He was interested in talking about the game, “putting it in a positive light and showing how great these athletes and these teams are.”
This also means the Germans in the NBA. National team captain Dennis Schröder? “For me, an absolute Hall of Famer!” Franz Wagner? Has already “played at an absolute all-star level.” The development of German basketball? “Craziness!”
Nowitzki provides further assessments at the expert microphone.