Anyone who’s got a favorite player has to know more than just their number. If Dirk is your “must-see” shooter, you may want to take note of the following:

• Position: Power Forward

• Number: 41

• Years pro: 9

• Height: 7’0”

• Weight: 245 lbs.

• Born: June 19, 1978 in Würzburg, Germany

• High School: Röntgen Gymnasium (also in Würzburg, Germany)

• Still playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk was first drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1st round (9th pick, 9th overall) of the 1998 NBA draft.

• Initial salary in 1998: $1,472,640

• 2008 salary with the Mavs: $16,360,094

Noteworthy accomplishments:

• Nowitzki is a seven-time member of the NBA All-Star team

• He is also an eight-time member of the All-NBA Teams

• Dirk is the first European-born player in NBA history to receive the NBA Most Valuable Player award

• Nowitzki is the first Maverick ever to be voted into an All-NBA Team and also holds several all-time Mavericks franchise records

• He led the German national basketball team to a bronze medal in the 2002 FIBA World Championship and the silver medal in EuroBasket 2005, and was leading scorer and elected Most Valuable Player in both tournaments

• Dirk Nowitzki is thought of as one of the best European players in basketball history

• Nowitzki was named "European Basketball Player of the Year" by Italian sports newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport for five years in a row and voted FIBA European Basketball Player of the Year in 2005

• He was voted the NBA Most Valuable Player in 2007

• Dirk Nowitzki won the Three-point Shootout, a National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend contest held on the Saturday before the All-Star Game

2007-08 Player Stats:

• PPG: 23.6

• RPG: 8.6

• BPG: 0.9

Keep updating your record, there’s probably more important Dirk stats to come.