Dirk gives longer interview to German newspaper (update)

Hi guys, since I'm currently close to Dirk's old home I became aware that he just gave an interview to the tabloid BILD, the best-selling newspaper in Germany (somewhere between USA Today and National Enquirer) which also has a large sports section. I'll try my best to translate for you (some is hard to do word for word, since I also assume the interviewer edited). You can get the original interview here including a few more pictures and a short video that shows him leaving the arena in San Antonio talking about what went wrong (update: see below for a transcript of the video).

DIRK NOWITZKI - THE GIANT INTERVIEW. Read 213 lines with our 213 cm tall superstar.

NBA star Dirk Nowitzki (2.13 m [7'0'']) with BILD reporter Matthias Marburg (1.85 m [6'1'']) on the balcony of the Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Antonio. Via www.bild.de

By Matthias Marburg. BILD visits Dirk Nowitzki (30) in America. Germany's basketball superstar talks as open as never before.

BILD: After the first win with Dallas you got blown out in game 2 with 84:105 against San Antonio. Are you afraid to end your career without a major title, like a "Basketball-Ballack"? [Note: Germany's current national soccer team captain has led the team to World Championship and European Championship finals and semi-finals, but never won an international title]

Nowitzki: "I feel very good at the moment, and I'm sure that there are many good years ahead of me. I still believe in this team. And Ballack will also win a major title."

BILD: How important is basketball to you?

Nowitzki: "Basketball is still my life at the moment. My mood varies with the results. If we lose, I'm in a bad mood the next day. If we win, I'm in a good mood. I will only really get to rest once we won the title."

BILD: What does money mean to you?

Nowitzki: "It's nice to know that I don't have to worry about money anymore. Money is not everything to me. For someone who doesn't have that much it's of course different. When I'm at a traffic light and a homeless person comes past my car - as it often happens here in America - I give him some change."

BILD: Do you feel the effects of the economic crisis in your daily life?

Nowitzki: Usually I have about $100 in my pocket. I also have several credit cards, since I have [accounts with] several banks. Because of the credit crisis I distributed my money. Some of it is in Germany, some of it is in other countries in Europe and some of it is in the US. I still have an overview how much money I have."

BILD: How secure do you feel?

Nowitzki: "I live in a gated community, but in today's situation anything is possible. Two months ago the first bank [lost in translation?] was robbed in Dallas. Nobody is safe anymore. This is an extreme situation we are going through. Recently I was asked if I have a weapon [a gun] at home. I don't. Just a golf club. And a baseball bat."

BILD: How is President Obama doing?

Nowitzki: "It seems to me like the first euphoria is wearing off. At least he has travelled around a lot, shows himself more open than his predecessor. He doesn't see the Americans above all others, instead wants to build connections. He wants to get the economy going. But everyone says that will take many years."

BILD: We have Merkel [note: current chancellor and head of the conservative party] and Steinmeier [note: secretary of state, her coalition partner and head of the social democratic party]. Who do you vote for in the elections to the Bundestag [parliamentary election coming this fall]?

Nowitzki: "Nobody, I likely won't vote. I have never voted. When I went to the US, I was 19 years old, I had never voted before. As a child I wasn't interested in politics at all. Now that has changed a bit, I go and watch the Tagesschau [main evening news] every now and then over the Internet."

Nowitzki duelling with Tony Parker of the San Antonio Spurs. The "best of 7"-series of the playoffs is tied at 1:1. Via www.bild.de

BILD: Who do you support in the Fussball Bundesliga [top German soccer league]?

Nowitzki: "I'm a lifetime member of Hertha BSC [Berlin]. Due to Fredi Bobic [retired soccer player and basketball fan]. I had a lot of contact with him when he played there. That's why I follow the games of the guys when I have the time."

BILD: Which websites do your regularly visit?

Nowitzki: MavsMoneyball.com "In Germany BILD.de and Sport1.de [note: blatant advertising for their own stuff]. Especially I look for table tennis, follow the games of Timo Boll [best German/non-Chinese player]. He visited me in December, and I played against him at home on my plate. He showed me a few tricks, but I didn't stand a chance against him."

BILD: Who would you like to be for a day?

Nowitzki: "Sometimes it would be nice to be a nobody. Just go in a restaurant without having to give autographs".

BILD: When will there be a Mrs. Nowitzki?

Nowitzki: "I'm working on it. There is no schedule."

BILD: What does working on it mean?

Nowitzki: "Well, I do have a girlfriend. We live together. She is shy, very low key, doesn't need all the hype. Just like me."

BILD: What was your last gift to her?

Nowitzki: "I bought her a little dog. A Yorkshire Terrier named Luna. A pet dog, like Paris Hilton has."

BILD: "Which household chores do you do yourself?"

Nowitzki: "None. I have a cleaning lady and a chef. I don't do grocery shopping either. I just put out my own clothes. I have about ten suits in my closet."

BILD: How americanized are you already?

Nowitzki: "I like the relaxed lifestyle of the Americans. I'm a relaxed guy anyway, nothing agitates me. Only on the court I can run hot [overheat]. But my other virtues are very German. How I worked for everything here and continue to do. That I'm always on time. I think, my German virtues have brought me where I am today."

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Update: Loose transcript from the video with Dirk walking out of the arena:

Reporter: After the opening win in the playoff series against the San Antonio Spurs, fans of the Dallas Mavericks went confident into the second game. In the end, Dirk Nowitzki and the Mavericks got a 84 to 105 beating. Germany's best basketball player just scored a meager 14 points.

Dirk: Tony Parker was amazing today from the start. I think he had already 19 points in the first quarter and we never found an answer to that. Offensively they did the same thing as the other day. Always doubled me and Jet. They did it better than the last time, so we have to look at the film a little bit and see what we can change for Thursday.

Reporter: How do you get over such a beat down?

Dirk: Oh, sometimes in the playoffs it's better to get beaten by 20 than get beaten by 1. In the end both just counts as a loss, and that's the good thing in the playoffs. Now it's 1-1. We got homecourt advantage back. And yeah, it would be great if we could win both home games. We are a good team at home. And with our own fans backing us, let's see what we can do. We have two free days to work on a few things, think through a few things.

Reporter: In the playoff series it now stands 1 to 1. First to win four games advances to the next round. After two away games the Mavericks have the first game in their own arena on Thursday. Until then Dirk Nowitzki still has a bit of time to recover from the blowout in game 2.