The German men’s basketball team hasn’t always been top-tier. Even with the legend Dirk Nowitzki on the roster, they struggled to win gold on the international stage and had a tough time in the Olympic Games. They did grab bronze at the 2002 FIBA World Cup and silver at the 2005 EuroBasket, where Dirk was MVP, but gold was out of reach. It wasn’t until 2023 that they finally got it. Dennis Schröder and the German team took home the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, marking a major turning point for German basketball.

The great Dirk Nowitzki was both surprised and proud to see his country’s success on the international stage following their recent achievements. “I never thought Germany would be World Champions or playing in the Semi-finals of the Olympic Games,” Nowitkzi said.  “It’s been incredible to see the growth of these guys, I’m sitting there like a proud father watching the guys play at such a high level. The future is bright for German basketball, let’s see what the future brings”

While Nowitzki is thrilled and proud of the German team’s growth, he shared one regret about the Olympics: not getting to see Luka Dončić, who plays for Dirk’s former NBA team, in action. Luka and the Slovenian team were eliminated by Giannis Antetokounmpo and Greece in the Olympic qualifying tournament. Despite Slovenia’s best efforts, they couldn’t pull through, and Dirk acknowledged this fact.

“You want to see the best players in the world playing on the big stage. And the Olympic Games are a big stage. I followed the OQTs a little bit and in Greece, there was a tough tournament. It would have been tough to pull off”, Dirk commented on Slovenia missing the Paris Olympics. Although he couldn’t fulfill this wish, the legend shared another wish after the “Night of the Dragon” farewell game for Slovenian legend Goran Dragić in Ljubljana.

“I hope that would be in Dallas,” Dirk Nowitzki commented on Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić playing together in the NBA

At the ‘Night of the Dragon’ event, Luka Dončić and Nikola Jokić played on the same team. Although the dynamic duo lost the game, Luka’s team was leading for most of it. It’s safe to say they took their foot off the pedal down the stretch, letting Dragic’s team win on his special night. It was after this game that Dirk shared his hopes on those two playing together.

“I hope that would be in Dallas. I’m not sure if that will ever happen, but obviously both are two of the best players in the world. If now the best players in the world”, Dirk said when asked if he sees the pair playing together in the future in the NBA. Dirk also pointed out that they’re tight off the court, hanging out together, and that there’s a lot of mutual respect between them.

Just imagine those two playing together in the NBA—that would be a sight to see! That pair would be epic; the pick-and-roll would be next-level, and they could stagger their minutes, which would be sick too. There are so many ways this duo could absolutely crush it, given their scoring and passing skills alone. Plus, both are superstars on their own teams. Do you see them both teaming up in the future?

Before you go, do not forget to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.