Topic: Nowitzki wins MVP award

[Master Dave]

It's official, Dirk Nowitzki is the 06-07 MVP

DALLAS -- Dirk Nowitzki has been chosen as the NBA's MVP for
leading the Dallas Mavericks to one of the best regular seasons in
league history, a team official told The Associated Press on
Friday.

The formal announcement will come Tuesday at a news conference,
said the team official, who requested anonymity because the
announcement is pending.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks went from a league-best 67 wins to a
stunning first-round elimination by eighth-seeded Golden State,
with the big German quite un-MVP-like for most of the series.

Voting was completed before the playoffs.

The story was first reported late Thursday by ESPN.com.

Nowitzki becomes the first MVP in 25 years not to win a single
playoff series; it last happened to Houston's Moses Malone in
1981-82. That failure is likely to be remembered more than the fact
he's the first European honoree, and the first not to have attended
a U.S. high school or college.

Nowitzki's victory also ends the two-year reign of his good
friend and former teammate Steve Nash of Phoenix. After blossoming
into star players together in Dallas, one of them has been the MVP
all three seasons since they've been separated.

Nowitzki earned it this time by being the best player on the
best team, leading the Mavericks in scoring (24.6 points per game)
and rebounding (8.9 per game).

He was an All-Star for the sixth straight year and started the
game for the first time. That was a first for a Dallas player -- as
is this honor. On Thursday, he was chosen to the all-NBA first-team
for a third straight year.

While Nowitzki's ninth season wasn't his highest-scoring, it was
his most accurate. He set career-highs in shooting percentage on
field goals (50.2), 3-pointers (41.6) and free throws (90.4); no
other player in the league topped 50, 40 and 90 percent.

Nowitzki and the Mavericks came into this season driven by
having blown a 2-0 lead in the NBA finals last summer. After losing
their first four games, they dropped only 11 more. They won the
most games in team history and tied for sixth-most in league
history. They also became the first club with three winning streaks
of at least 12 games, going on spurts of 12, 13 and 17 in a row.

But reputations are made in the playoffs, and that's where
Nowitzki has looked so ordinary in his last two series -- the finals
against Miami and the one that ended last week.

Pestered by smaller defenders who were armed with the insight of
coach Don Nelson, Nowitzki's coach his first seven seasons, the
Warriors limited him to 19.7 points per game on 38 percent
shooting. His 3-point accuracy plummeted to 21 percent. In the
series finale, Nowitzki scored just eight points on 2-of-13
shooting after having dramatically helped the Mavs avoid
elimination in the closing minutes of the previous game.

The combination of last year's collapse against Miami and the
Golden State flop have sparked wide debate about whether Nowitzki
is capable of leading a team to a title. However, this award is a
chance to reflect on the amazing ride that's gotten him to this
point.

Growing up in Wurzburg, Germany, his father a successful
handball player and his mother a former member of the national
basketball team, Nowitzki was discovered at age 16 by Holger
Geschwindner, captain of West Germany's 1972 Olympic team.

When Nowitzki said he wanted to get serious about learning the
game, Geschwindner devised an unusual training regimen aimed at
producing an usual basketball specimen: A 7-footer who shoots
3-pointers.

The Mavericks were wowed by Nowitzki's skills when he worked out
at their gym before going to a youth tournament in San Antonio at
the 1998 Final Four. They acquired him in a draft-day deal with
Milwaukee, which had taken him ninth overall on orders from Dallas.

Playing for Nelson, a wizard of the mismatch, Nowitzki became a
nearly 22-point per game scorer by his third season. He's remained
at or above that level ever since.

He's already the leading rebounding in club history and is on
pace to become the leading scorer next season. This season, he
became a more reliable passer, averaging a career-best 3.4 assists
per game. He even flirted several times with his first career
triple-double. He's also become a solid defender, shaking the
mocking name of "irk," as in there being no "D" in him.

Nowitzki turns 29 next month, so he should have plenty more
chances to fix his current playoff reputation

[Killua_X]

he doesnt deserve it... for sure hndi rn xa mgging proud sa pagtanggap ng mvp trophy award nia.

[vindicator]

mas ok pa naging MVP si Baron Davis

[vindicator]

2007 AWARD WINNERS
Most Valuable Player
GMs: Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas
All-NBA Teams
Official: Nash, Stoudemire lead First Team
Rookie of the Year
Official: Brandon Roy, Portland
GMs: Brandon Roy, Portland
All-Rookie
Official: Roy, Bargnani lead All-Rookie team
Defensive Player of the Year
Official: Marcus Camby, Denver
GMs: Marcus Camby, Denver
Coach of the Year
Official: Sam Mitchell, Toronto
GMs: Avery Johnson, Dallas
Sixth Man Award
Official: Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix
GMs: Leandro Barbosa, Phoenix
Most Improved Player
Official: Monta Ellis, Golden State
GMs: Kevin Martin, Sacramento

official na pla ah... 

[micyehey]

dapat si bostjan nachbar ang naging MVP!!!! siya ang deserving talaga kesa kay dirk!!!!!!

[Jann Frost]

panong hindi magiging lalakas si camby eh sa mga kasama palang panalo na, sya lang iwan kaya hindi nagpaiwan hehe. kaya dapat sakanya rin dapat yung title na most improved player.

[uzamaki4000]

  .... haka haka lng... di pa official yan...

[KuRaTsAMaYoR]

sayang natalo nga lang ang dallas mavericks... well consolation prize na rin yan para kay pareng dirk... 

[vannister]

i wonder what dirk would say once he accepts the award. from a team who won 67 games in a season but failed to win in the 1st round, he does not deserve it.

[Kal-El]

i wonder what dirk would say once he accepts the award. from a team who won 67 games in a season but failed to win in the 1st round, he does not deserve it.

i beg to disagree. after all, he did show his MVP form during the regular season games, which all that matters to be voted the season MVP. As mentioned, he lead the Mavs to 67 wins. let us be reminded that the performance during the playoffs does not count towards the season MVP; this falls under the Finals MVP. unfortunately, Dirk didn't show his MVP form during the playoffs when it counted the most. nonetheless, he still deserved to be this season's MVP.  On the other hand, he deserved to lose in the 1st round by not playing as an MVP. 

[Master Dave]

Here's what Dirk has to say on winning the award

R2MVP: Does it make it any more special to be named MVP since you are the first European-born player to receive the accolade?

Nowitzki: It is a great accomplishment but once I'm out there on the court, I don't worry about being from Europe or Germany. I'm always trying to represent my country the right way. I understand I have a lot of fans in Europe and hopefully they can cherish this moment. There have been a lot of great European players who opened the door for me and this is a tribute for them.

R2MVP: You guys had a truly remarkable season, winning 67 games, which tied for sixth most in league history. Talk a little bit about the year from a team standpoint.

Nowitzki: To think that I helped a team win 67 games is really special. We won, we had fun, we worked hard and it was a great ride. It is hard to describe winning 67 games.

R2MVP: Did losing in the first round to the Warriors put a big damper on your great regular season?

Nowitzki: Winning the MVP is a great honor not only for me but also for my teammates and the franchise. It is a little hard for me to be happy with the way the postseason went. It puts a shadow on the regular season we had. As time goes by, I'll be able to enjoy it more like when my career is over.

R2MVP: If you were voting for MVP, who would you have chose?

Nowitzki: I'm a modest guy so I would never vote for myself. I probably would have voted for Steve or maybe Kobe, especially after the show he put on after the All-Star break with all of his 40- and 50-point games. Just like with the All-Star Game, I always think there are a lot of players who deserve awards. I think I deserved it last year as much as I did this year.

R2MVP: Since the MVP is a regular-season award, do you wish it was handed out before the playoffs started?

Nowitzki: Yeah, I'd be a lot happier. I do understand it is a regular-season award to a player who had a special season. Our postseason loss was tough.

R2MVP: What did the Warriors do to give you guys problems?

Nowitzki: It was bad timing. We faced the hottest team at the wrong moment and they were riding a wave. They had to win a lot of games at the end of the season to get in and it carried over to the playoffs. We coasted at the end of the season and didn't have any big games. I think that might have hurt us. I have to give them all of the credit. They exploited our weaknessess. I'm going to see what we did wrong, see what I need to do to get better and try to improve for next season.

R2MVP: You and Nash are good friends. How cool is it that you guys are arguably the top two players in the NBA and that you have captured the last three MVPs?

Nowitzki: That is definitely special. Once we first got to Dallas, nobody thought we could even be role players. We worked hard together. We'd come back to the gym to shoot, play one-on-one, play Horse and lift weights. We were always working on our game together. We both wanted to take the Mavs organization to another level. It really was a fun ride and I'm lucky to have been around him and to have met him. I'm proud to be in the same catergory as him. He's really special and I'm glad with everything he's accomplished with the Suns.

[123kid123]

Larry Merchant or some commentator said, and it was stuck to my head, people forget that Floyd Mayweather won the first 6 rounds against Jose Castillo.

[Kal-El]

Larry Merchant or some commentator said, and it was stuck to my head, people forget that Floyd Mayweather won the first 6 rounds against Jose Castillo.

dude, ummm, i think you're on the wrong thread...

[123kid123]

What I was trying to say was people forget that season starts from game 1 and in the playoffs. Or they are just jumping to the playoffs bandwagon.

[Reaver]

i wonder what dirk would say once he accepts the award. from a team who won 67 games in a season but failed to win in the 1st round, he does not deserve it.

dahil hndi napanalo ung first round kaya hndi na dapat ibigay ung award sakanya? hndi lng nmn 1 man ang basketball, hndi porke sya na pinakamagaling sa team eh responsibilidad nya na ipanalo lahat ng games nila... 

[Kal-El]

dahil hndi napanalo ung first round kaya hndi na dapat ibigay ung award sakanya? hndi lng nmn 1 man ang basketball, hndi porke sya na pinakamagaling sa team eh responsibilidad nya na ipanalo lahat ng games nila... 

Although it is true that the responsibility to make sure that his team wins is not entirely Dirk's, but most of it is his. Being a professional, and the best in the league, most of the burden of making sure that his team wins is on his shoulder. As I've mentioned, Dirk deserved his MVP award for having an MVP performance during the regular season. Unfortunately, this form didn't show up for the Playoffs. Having said that, he deserved to lose the first round.

[Reaver]

dahil hndi napanalo ung first round kaya hndi na dapat ibigay ung award sakanya? hndi lng nmn 1 man ang basketball, hndi porke sya na pinakamagaling sa team eh responsibilidad nya na ipanalo lahat ng games nila... 

Although it is true that the responsibility to make sure that his team wins is not entirely Dirk's, but most of it is his. Being a professional, and the best in the league, most of the burden of making sure that his team wins is on his shoulder. As I've mentioned, Dirk deserved his MVP award for having an MVP performance during the regular season. Unfortunately, this form didn't show up for the Playoffs. Having said that, he deserved to lose the first round.

exactly... but to others, they think that it's entirely his fault... just because his performance at the PLAYOFFS was bad doesn't mean he should not receive the SEASON mvp

[Pausemaster]

i agree po....talagang nawala lang MVP form nya nung playoffs, cguro kung ung way ng paglalaro nila nung season eh nadala nila sa playoffs, malaki ang chance na makapasok sila sa finals...they are the destined to win 67 games, and nowitzki to win the MVP, but still, they are not destined to win the championship this year...

[Reaver]

ok na ung gnun na achieve nila dis season... kesa nmn kay kobe na wlang chance maging mvp... asa sya

[Kal-El]

ok na ung gnun na achieve nila dis season... kesa nmn kay kobe na wlang chance maging mvp... asa sya

on the contrary, he did have the chance to win the Maurice Podoloff trophy. However it was a distant 3rd place. But, that was still indeed a chance. Will he ever win one? Why not? But as long as he doesn't elevate his game from being a scoring machine to an over-all great player, there is no winning the MVP. He. like an player in the NBA of the same stature, should be given some benefit of the doubt...