The stars are starting to arrive for the FIBA World Cup 2023 Draw, which takes place on Saturday at the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
German superstar Dirk Nowitzki landed in the Philippines on Thursday. He will join Argentinian legend Luis Scola on the stage for the draw that will determine the pools for the global meet from August 25 to September 10.
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Before he became the ninth overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Nowitzki made a name for himself in FIBA youth competitions.
He was a fixture in the German youth squads from 1996 to 1998, and even won the German League MVP in 1999.
In the NBA, he became the first European player to win the Most Valuable Player award in 2007.
Nowitzki also led Dallas to an NBA championship in 2011.
Besides leading the Mavericks, he also led the Die Mannschaft to bronze in the 2002 World Championship and silver in Eurobasket 2005.
(C) FIBA.Basketball
Just recently, he was named to the Hall of Fame Class of 2023.
Nowitzki, now 45, is also the chair of the FIBA Players Commission.
Besides Scola and Nowitzki, China’s Yao Ming and Russia’s Andrei Kirilenko are expected to grace the event.
