40 moments to celebrate Dirk Nowitzki’s 40th birthday

26. Conan interview

During an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s late-night talk show in 2014, Dirk showed just how hard he reps for the state of Texas. Nowitzki gave O’Brien a Texas Citizenship Test that was filled with questions ranging from who the mayor of Texas is, to correctly naming which Texas team various athletes belonged to. However, the greatest moment came when Dirk asked Conan what his nickname is, which resulted in Nowitzki rattling off several moniker’s like “The Seven-Foot Schnitzel,” “The Berlin Tall” and “Dunkenmeister.”

27. Dirk’s documentary

In 2014 Mavericks fans everywhere rejoiced when it was announced that Dirk Nowitzki was going to get a documentary about his story from awkward, tall German kid, to NBA superstar. Released originally in Germany, the movie was available to stream on iTunes and Netflix shortly after.

Featuring well-known tidbits about Dirk’s rise to fame, to unknown pieces about his childhood and his first few years in the league, several NBA players spoke to Nowitzki’s greatness. From Steve Nash to Kobe Bryant, it was just another testament to how appreciated Dirk is in the basketball community.

28. Game-winner vs. Knicks

Although the post-championship seasons haven’t provided a lot of great highlights, one area that has always been consistent is the clutch play-making ability of Nowitzki. In a tight game against the New York Knicks in 2014, Dirk was faced with another opportunity to put the team on his back and carry them to a win. With 10 seconds left Nowitzki, guarded by Carmelo Anthony, got to his spot at the top of the key, took one dribble and faded away for the game-winning shot. Even at age 35 Dirk showed he still had it.

29. 2015 All-Star dunk

Speaking of still having it, although Dirk made the All-Star game 12 times throughout his career, his appearance in 2015 will always be memorable because it may be his last. As one of the oldest members on the Western Conference All-Star team, Nowitzki graciously allowed the younger guys take control of the game. However, Dirk may have had the best highlight of the night.

On a fast break in the second quarter of the game, Stephen Curry threw the ball up towards the rim, possibly forgetting Nowitzki would be on the receiving end of it, and to everyone’s surprise Dirk came down with the rare dunk. The whole bench went crazy, and Dirk acted like he does it all the time.

30. 40-points vs. Portland

The last 40-point game Dirk had happened two years ago against Portland in 2016. Shooting a hyper-efficient 61.5 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range, Nowitzki showed once again that regardless of how old he gets he’s still good to drop 40 on any given night. Even though it’s only been two years, Dirk may be overdue for another lights-out performance.

Next: Dirk's greatest moments: 31-35