1998 NBA Draft -- Dirk Nowitzki

[Ijustworkhereman]

Jimmer Fredette anyone?

[jjota80]

The Bucks NEVER had Dirk to begin with -so stop saying they traded him away.

The Mavs had the 6th pick, Bucks the 9th. The Bucks wanted Tractor Traylor but thought he might get picked before 9. The Mavs wanted Dirk but knew they could get more value. So they swapped picks (with Pat Garrity also going to the Mavs).

The Mavs would have just draft Dirked themselves with the 6th pick otherwise.

Picking Tractor (rip) was a terrible move, but Dirk should not be counted against the Bucks.

[thejohhny69]

these video was uploaded in august 23, 2006 that is the year when the mavs loss to the heat but they avenge it last year.

[Lucarinho]

haha, i mean cmon man. its not like dirk would have develolped the same in Milwaukee. You know, he had someone who actually believed in him: Don Nelson. Daz why he is what he is right now... And of course not to forget his great menton holger geschwendner....

[bettydaw1970]

lol, the moans and groans...

this guy will be a bust!!!

[100jokes]

how many good players did Bucks traded out?

[radwint19]

sooo sad for milwaukee bucks =(

[DCfan971]

Thank you Bucks Go Mavs #1

[martyxcallsiefer]

WEEEEEEEEEEEEEE ARE THE CHAMPIONSSSSSSSSSSSS

[JessikahAznBabyy]

with the 9th pick in the 1998 nba draft, the milwaukee bucks select: Nick Carter from wurzburg, germany

[TheMnE101]

I think they were booing himXD ha!

[RazorExes]

i think the bucks retired the number 41

but you never know if your pick rises to one of the best or the best 7-footer shooter that the nba has ever seen!!

[revengeofbutthead]

Dirk is now Mavss' Asset 

[gcavaresi]

Did he grow 2 inches since he was drafted? By the way, IT'S PRONOUNCED NOVITZKI

[skinderson]

listen 2 the crowd boo..there now booing management for trading him

[masteryugioh100]

Thank you Milwaukee now Dirk sings "We are the champions", gets to the playoffs for 10 years straight,and is the best Euro player ever while we watch you and Bogut cry you guys are lucky you didn't trade him or Jennings

[NBADUNKMAN]

And Kobe's trade from Hornets to Lakers was also a huge mistake.

[coloneldenisov]

Best trade ever getting nowitzki and nash at the same night!

[Sweab21]

@coloneldenisov nash got drafted number 15 to the suns

[coloneldenisov]

@Sweab21 I meant that dallas got nowitzki and garrity by trading for traylor. Then trading Garrity, a first(shawn marion), bubba wells, and martin mursepp for steve nash on draft night.

[JavierCA2008]

First Dirk in 1998 now Jimmer in 2011

[freddiegibbs101]

@JavierCA2008 I suggest you dream on.

[SmoothMM]

@freddiegibbs101 Jimmer's going to be successful. I predict at least one All Star nod.

[RhoNeXxX]

I like how they listed him as 6'10 Center lol

[trezeguet4ever]

@RhoNeXxX he grew after

[molonlave2010]

and now those idiots from the Bucks organization traded away Jimmer Fredette for vlakies. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fucking losers! Jimmer is going to be a stud, just watch!

[sportstalk23]

MVP,MVP,MVP

[vaibanez17]

And 13 years later, David Stern still can't pronounce his name "No-Vitz-key"...still calls him "No-Witz-key"....you would think the commissioner of all people should be required to know everyone's name with correct pronounciation!

[meterelhuevo]

Second best international player behind HAKEEM "THE DREAM" OLAJUWON

[dmanofalltime23]

The Bucks drafted Dirk for the Mavs because the Mavs were two picks back. Donnie Nelson cut a deal with them before they picked

[ir0ckfartz]

DAT HAIRCUT

[TheDallasDude]

A Champion!

[JimDoneIt]

Champ

[SportsNewsNow]

lol stupid people are booing

[narutopcwiz]

whats with those people "booing"?

[svwluke]

Bucks traded Dirk = epic fail

[CoolerKing37]

Only an organization like the Milwaukee Bucks would be responsible for 2 of the biggest trade busts ever. This, and the Kareem trade.

[CoolerKing37]

Damn, the Bucks could've had Dirk AND Ray Allen.

[stuckonautomatic]

That's what (former) CNNSI writer Dan Shanoff wrote about the 1998 draft:

"Winners: The Bucks

After trading away No. 4 draft-pick Stephon Marbury last year, the Bucks get it right in '98 by stealing the marketable and talented Robert Traylor from the Mavs for an overhyped foreign prospect."

[Tazzarinaa]

@stuckonautomatic The fact I have to ask who robert traylor is, yeah that's obviously a huge mistake lol

[MaximumSpiderMvC]

@stuckonautomatic

I bet he's kicking himself about writing that today.

[thejohhny69]

@stuckonautomatic an "overhyped foreign prospect" the overhyped foreign prospect that you're talking about is now a 2007 nba leage mvp and the 2011 nba finals mvp

[stuckonautomatic]

@thejohhny69

It was not me who labelled Dirk an "overhyped foreign prospect". If you look closely you would see the "..." in my original post which indicate that I quoted someone else who apparently was far off with his estimation of Nowitzki's and Traylor's respective talent. I'm a big fan of Dirk btw.

[alexmyrtou]

@stuckonautomatic I am suprised you were so calm in your answer to that -fascitius unable to read a simple coment- johnny...

Gz mate...

ps:If you do not know how to read,or are simply too bored to pay attention,please do not reply...

[lordhuebi]

@thejohhny69 learn to read bro

[zeromancer44]

@stuckonautomatic @stuckonautomatic That's what Dan Shanoff said in January 2012 about his prediction then:

"Looking back, I am mostly appalled at my simple-minded analysis and implicit xenophobia. [...] It is perhaps the ultimate irony that as my 5-year-old son became aware of basketball this past spring, he announced that Dirk was his favorite player. Nowitzki’s talents are that obvious. I only wish I could have understood that back then."

[wansta11140]

say his fken last name right bch

[molonlave2010]

One of the worst trade of all-time for the Bucks

Dallas is so fortunate to get this player

[WILTALK]

Dirk also felt leary about entering the NBA he actually thought about going to college- Cal or Kentucky. The Nelsons had contacted him earlier and make him feel comfortable. He probably would have not played for any other team. Other teams knew he was a good player but did not draft him for that reason. He was pretty much locked into the mavs. Thats why the Mavs knew they could still get him at #9 and traded with the Bucks each picking the player the other wanted. It was all pre-arranged

[READONLY1900]

dirk deserves to be the 1st not 9th

[chromifox]

@READONLY1900 yeah seriously

48 points on 12-15 FG and 24-24 FT is fucking insane. damn. he just cant miss one of those damn crazy shots he puts up

[Mosfet55]

R.I.P. Tractor!!!!!

[ITKerp]

as a bucks fan, i fuckin hate them for this!!! trading dirk???!!!!!

[MrTronvas]

if the bucks couldve see into the future & seen what nowitzki wouldve become in 2 seasons they wouldve never traded him

[KHDND]

The Bucks would've made a dynasty had they drafted these players:

Dirk Nowizki (DON'T TRADE HIM)

D-Will (2005)

CP3 (2005)

This would've been a dynasty instead, they fucked up man

[PJHunterTJ]

The Bucks wanted Traylor but knew he would go 7th or 8th... So they called an old friend Nelson up and asked for a favor.

Not many knew about Dirk. I however did see some action of him in a Nike hoop summitt game. He was the MVP and tied some record Jordan had in it.

[lemmingsoda]

little did the bucks know...that behind that haircut.....there was a blossoming superstar

[TheSecretSanta]

I don't see what's wrong with the trade. Bucks obviously wanted a bouncer and the Mavs just wanted to win.

[vaibanez17]

That trade for Robert Traylor is one of the most lopsided deals in NBA history and has made my team what they are today(Dallas Mavericks). Dirk is a hall of famer simple as that.

[Toozlove]

i remeber this day well. as a mavs fan I said what the hell is this? who is nowitski? His first 25 games of the 99 season we're awful!!! looked like a euro who didnt belong. now he's the best 7ft jump shooter of all time. CHECK THAT one of the best shooters of all time PERIOD!!!! once in a lietime talent! Give credit to the Nelson's (Donnie and Don) they had a hunch about dirk!!!! OHHHHH BOYYYY did they have a hunch!!!! They were RIGHT! things like this happen once every 50 or so yrs!!!! Go Dirk

[WC812571]

people saying teams are kicking themselves for trading away great players for nobodies are pointless. In hind sight they look bad, but no GM can really predict how a player will turn out.

[hollabackitsobi]

@WC812571 Well, they ARE kicking themselves, but they're not to blame.

[armstrong2mcgrady2k1]

little did anybody know that Dirk would end up being the greatest international player in NBA HIstory and arguably one of the 5 best PFs in NBA HIstory as well.

[aperfectcircle2121]

and the greatest choker was born

[RIP00TALENT]

BIG MISTAKE BY THE BUST I MEAN BUCKS

DIRK THE GREATEST MAV OF ALL TIME AND THE GREATEST SHOOTING POWER FORWARD OF ALL TIMES....WE LOVE YOU DIRK COME BACK TO DALLAS OR NOT WE STILL LOVE YA (NO HOMO)

[pcs14]

are people booing..?

[schlaflin]

no boo's or cheers, everyone is trying to figure who the fuck is that

[farmercorn1]

lol i laugh at how inpatient the bucks were with dirk, now there probally cryin there asses off

[BeerDrinkersUnited]

He never played for the Bucks. The pick belonged to the Mavericks because it was part of a previous trade. They told the Bucks who they wanted.

[farmercorn1]

@BeerDrinkersUnited what do u mean he never played for the bucks his debut in the nba was on the bucks, they traded him

[BeerDrinkersUnited]

@farmercorn1 Dirk never played for the Bucks and was never part of the team. He was never employed by the Bucks. In fact, the first time he ever set foot in Milwaukee was the 19th game of his 2nd season, because the Maverick didn't play Milwaukee in his 1st season.

[farmercorn1]

@BeerDrinkersUnited really? o.o well then excuse me :- )

[BeerDrinkersUnited]

@farmercorn1 That's alright, man. It's a little confusing because David Stern doesn't say the name of the team that owns the pick, he says the name of the original owner of the pick. It's a very strange way of doing things. I guess Stern was really bored one day and threw together some kind of scheme to keep himself entertained. :-)

[farmercorn1]

@BeerDrinkersUnited lol

[vicehoundelite]

who was the first pick in this draft again?

[StefanSuender]

@vicehoundelite Haha the Clippers selected a nigerian named Michael Olowokandi :D Other picks in this draft were Antawn Jamison, Vince Carter and Paul Pierce!

[LegMDend]

I want to clear something up for 99% of people who still don't understand this pick. The Bucks never drafted Dirk. They never traded Dirk for Traylor. This was a prearranged trade. The Bucks and Mavs were already exchanging picks and were told by the Mavs who to pick. Don Nelson asked for Dirk. The Bucks asked for Traylor. The trade was already going down, so the Bucks never traded "Dirk for Traylor." If you want to bash the Bucks, bash them for passing up Paul Pierce, but they didn't pass Dirk.

[DerEddingstift]

i speak german and you pronounce it nowitzki and say it novitski

[DerEddingstift]

why dirk nowitzki is mvp 2007

[westsidenasfan]

This is just like what happened in the 1996 Draft when Charlotte Hornets traded Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac

[MrHeywatup]

it is spelled witzki but pronounced vitzki

[maveholic]

THANK YOU Milwaukee for trading Dirk to the Mavs! Best mistake ever for you guys

[frankmat]

You idiot... it wasn't a mistake. A deal was done where the Bucks would draft Dirk so that the Mavs could get him..... he was never going to be a Bucks player. Notice how half the room boos when his name was called out... he was a nobody.

The good news is Dirk has won nothing at Dallas anyway.

[maveholic]

you dumbfuck READ what you wrote and you'll see how fucking idiotic you are

IF they traded away his rights it's a MISTAKE FOR THE BUCKS YOU FAGGOT

BITCHMADE

[applepie101]

Dirk has nice jumpers lol.

Man, I just wish Steve Nash woulda stayed in Dallas. What Dirk and Steve coulda accomplished more.

[SynysterCustom13]

well, mark cuban didn't want nash thats why he didn't matchup the offer and gave him to phoenix where nash became MVP.

[montecroft]

I thought it was pronounced Vitski not Witski and I'm in N.Y.!

[Ruchsacksepp]

stern is a tardo

[Killerkarpfen1990]

Hm I don't know how you American pronounce what you wrote but I think you're right. He pronounced it wrong. Frist name totally and last name a little. But I guess for someone who doesn't speak German it's a hard name to pronounce right.

[montecroft]

Unless your supposed to pronounce it Nov-it-ski not No-wit-ski

[pyrohyro9]

@montecroft it is

[SynysterCustom13]

now dirk is the greatest PF who can score and he's one of the best players in the league, he would be better if nash was still on his team.

[howarddavid31]

dang, that crowd was hating on Dirky

[Spoolzz]

RACISM I TELLS YA!

[westdallas]

Bucks already knew he was going to dallas....

both teams picked for each other.

[nflizsoft6]

now it could be a combo of nowitzi,bogut and redd

[Asesino300]

The Bucks Roster could've looked like this in 1998

PG: Sam Cassel- All star caliber PG

SG: Ray Allen-Legend

SF: Glen Robinson-All star caliber SF

PF-DIrk Nowitski-HOF

C:Irving Johnson-avg Center

They would've won at least 2 championships.

[liweiwu007]

first of all if nowitzki was on that team, someone would be traded cuz there's gonna be not enough ball sharing. and defense wins championships, these guys are not known for their defense.

[sandmanspitfire]

it says he was 6'10 in 98:S

[chitoz666]

dirk nowiztki for robert traylor, now I bet the bucks still kick themselves in the ass for that trade!

[montenegrin2010]

@chitoz666 Well, it's hard to say. Dirk was struggling early, and it really took a team who believed in him for him to become this good. Yes, they probably regret it, but they just cpuld not see it coming...

[2m0rrownevapromised]

@chitoz666 lol so are the hornets. I think traylor was who the hornets traded kobe for too lol

[cooliovasquez]

@chitoz666 yeah they could have had a living person on their team

[mahdogzbite]

@chitoz666

Not as bad as the Hornets trading Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac, but I see your point.

[BoomBoomPowDatBitch]

@mahdogzbite lol or the micheal jordan pre-draft trade

[MrSlik25]

@chitoz666 Thats like Kobe Bryant for Vlade Divac!!!???!!!?!?!?!?

[doawriter]

Jud Buechler greatest one of all time

[DaRula888]

Nelson never coached him in Euope. That´s crab.

He always played&practiced in Würzburg. His mentor, Holger Geschwindner coached and practiced with him all time in Germany.

[bernman23]

I never said Donnie Nelson coached him at the club level. During the '98 Nike Hoops Summit, Nelson coached the international team, of which Nowitzki was a member. He also had scouted and worked with him in Europe previously. So it's very much not crap.

What I stated was fact. Mavs' HC/GM Don Nelson is quoted as saying Dirk was the most phenomenal 18-19 year old he'd ever seen. So if they don't pretty much have a guarantee he'll be available at 9, they stay put at 6 and select him.

[DaRula888]

and NEVER worked with him in Europe previously

[statusmvp]

if milwaukee kept him they would be lookin at

C. andrew bogut

PF. dirk nowitzki

SF. richard jefferson

SG. Micheal redd

PG. ramon sessions

not bad!!!!

[bernman23]

Read my post below....the Bucks never had that option.

[nets1fan102290]

umm ramon sessions doesnt start for them and secondly you really think the team would look like this if nowitzki was on the team? they would be completely different

[statusmvp]

ramon is going to get the starting position...and i was jus sayin "IF"....im not playin psychic GM here...get over it

[blakman718]

never wouldve had Bogut he was a #1 probley wouldve had Ervin Johnson still lmao

[pyrohyro9]

yeah but if they kept Nowitzki i don't think they would've needed to draft bogut

[bernman23]

The Bucks never had Dirk Nowitzki in order to trade him. Dallas possessed a higher 1st round pick in '98 than the Bucks. Dirk was Dallas' guy all along. Donnie Nelson coached him in Europe. Because of the relationship Dirk threatened to stay in Europe unless the Mavs took him. Therefore, Dallas figured he'd fall and they could extract another #1 pick by making a prearranged deal with a team like the Bucks, who they'd select whomever at 6 (Traylor :() for if the Bucks drafted Dirk for them at 9.

[sjmaugeri]

ill never forget in this draft philly could have taken paul pierce or dirk at no.8 but instead they took larry hughes

[jimmytwotimez]

Bucks can never get it right lmao. They had Ray Allen. Norwitzki and so many other talents. And traded them smh

[1520vclrj]

they were booing because americans doesnt trust european players.

[clickpick92]

were they booing???

no wonder he got outta the wolves.

[animegirl017]

Man the BUCKS really made a mistake for trading away their Lottery pick which turned out to be Dirk Nowitzki and another 1st rd.pick which turned out to be Pat garrity for the MAVS Lottery pick which was Robert traylor.Man this was a mistake! even Pat Garrity has even had a more decent career than Traylor who is currently out of the league.

[realrocky8591]

Agreed. Even Pat Garrity looks like Larry Bird when compared with Robert Traylor who was out of the league in a few years.

[molonlave2010]

@clickpick92 yes they we're, at that time they thought he would suck. HAHAHAHAHAHA!

[colbert12]

Any critcism of the Bucks for trading Nowitzki obviously is purely in hindsight, which is 20/20. Heck, for the first few seasons, Traylor played well for the Bucks while Nowitzki looked like a bust for Dallas. Obviously, it ultimately was the other way around, but you can't hold it against Milwaukee for making the trade at that time.

[selmanadzovic]

Yes, but the point is that Dalles saw things in long term. And I'm not just talking about Dirk, but the entire concept of drafting international talents. Milwaukee failed to see that.

[realrocky8591]

Untrue. Even in Traylor's BEST season, he only averaged 5.5 points - in Nowitzki's WORST season, he averaged 8.5 points per game. If that's the definition of success vs. bust, I'll take the "bust" anyday.

[dougaldrichrules]

Wow Dirk is only 6'10"????

[kool4u2handle]

im real happy he came to dallas...bucks are very dumb for not drafting him lol...

[daytripper18]

They drafted him without the intention of keeping him. Lol...how could they that Nowitzki would turn into the greatest European player of all time and Robert Traylor would turn into one of the greatest busts of all time...

[julemany]

DIRK NOWITZKI RULEZ...I'm from Romanian and is my favorite player and Allen Iverson...if they Booo him they are so stupids and retardets...look now who is he

[DelDiesel]

DIRK YOOOOOOOOO!!!!

[tofutoph]

did they boo him? if they did then that was stupid cause look how he is today.

[suabearchie]

ALL PEOPLE AGAINST W/ DIRK ARE STUPID!

[sirzod]

he'll never win a championship in dallas....hahahah

[DCfan971]

@sirzod ...3 years later...he won the championship. You must feel retarded

[iamhungey12345]

@sirzod

You were saying?

[losll]

DOH!!!

[Account765Li]

i bet the bucks are kickin' themselves in the ass on that one...

[Usamayomama41]

lol yeah....

[theycallmekrys]

lol - who woulda thought?

dirk is more important than YOUR LIFE.

[a7b7c78]

Milwaukee should have kept him. If they had

him in 01 with Ray Allen and Glenn Robinson and

the good PG they had, they would have been in

the finals and beaten the Luckers.

[chairswingingfreak]

sam cassell

[Usamayomama41]

luckers? lol

[Jamestown28]

Ya i think we know what nowitzki can do now.

We don't need a scouting report nearly a decade after he's picked

[007nites]

dirk- 7'0" 240ibs PF - versitile player - good rebounder - and can take a shot virtually anywhere on the court considering that he is 7'0"