Special Olympics: Nowitzki gives basketball players a motivational boost

Basketball icon Dirk Nowitzki visits his home and supports the Special Olympics World Games in Berlin. The 44-year-old sent the German team into the race for medals with a special drive.

Special Olympics stands for inclusion

Nowitzki is the first official supporter of the movement for people with intellectual disabilities and multiple disabilities, which was founded in the 1960s by John F. Kennedy’s sister, Eunice Shriver Kennedy, and is especially popular in the United States. “I’ve been following Special Olympics for a long time,” said Nowitzki, who lives in the United States with his family after his stint in the NBA with the Dallas Mavericks. “For me, the Special Olympics stands for inclusivity. It’s about giving people with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to play sports at a high level.”

“It’s not about winning or losing, it’s about exercising. I’m glad I can experience that.” Dirk Nowitzki

Sport brings people together

The 2011 NBA champion attended the German basketball team’s training session on Saturday and will also attend the opening ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in the evening. “Sports can bring people together,” Nowitzki said. “That’s what Special Olympics is about here. I hope we can all throw a great party together.”

Thinking about the Opening Ceremony brought back memories for Nowitzki of the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At that time, he led the German team into the stadium as the flag bearer for the opening ceremony. “It’s an experience I’ll never forget for the rest of my life. I was incredibly nervous and excited,” Nowitzki said.

At the Special Olympics in Berlin, 7,000 athletes from 190 countries will compete in 26 sports through June 25. The World Games are Germany’s largest multi-sport event since the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.