I lost control of myself a couple times in the playoffs. I have to keep cooler in the future.
Dirk NowitzkiI played all kinds of sports when I was young: tennis, handball, basketball, some soccer. I focused on basketball when I was 16 or 17 and then came to the U.S. when I was 20.
Dirk NowitzkiI know, basketball is a dance. I didn't understand the significance of that type of training at first. I was supposed to read poems.
Dirk NowitzkiI take my sport damned seriously. Basketball is my life. There are other people who go into important games as if they were any other game. I'm a brooder and I spend a lot of time thinking about my opponent, about the things he can do and about what I have to do to win. I don't think I'll ever be able to change that.
Dirk NowitzkiOff the floor I'm really laid back, like nothing really fazes me too much. But on the floor I do get emotional and a little carried away. However, I started playing when I was 13 to have fun with my teammates, and that never stopped. I enjoy traveling and having fun in the locker room with the guys. Life is too short to be miserable.
Dirk Nowitzki