While Mark Cuban will gladly take the credit for the Mavericks' turnaround from a decade of mediocrity to a solid playoff position, it probably has more to do with the emergence of Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki came to the Mavericks in a trade with the Bucks on draft day, after Milwaukee selected him ninth overall in 1998.

The 6-11 forward arrived in the United States after a stellar career in his native Germany. A member of the German Army from Sept. 1, 1997 through June 30, 1998, he also played for DJK Wurzburg and averaged 17.5 points and 9.9 rebounds in 20 games, helping his team win its division and move up to the first division of the Bundesliga. Prior to reported to the Mavericks' training came for the lockout-delayed 1998-99 season, he was leading the Bundesliga in scoring at 21.4 ppg and ranked third in rebounding at 8.4 rpg.

Nowitzki's rookie season with the Mavericks was a time of adjustments, both culturally and on the court. He averaged 8.2 points in 20.4 minutes for the season as a whole, but was in double figures over the last 14 games. Better accustomed to the country and the NBA game in his second season, Nowitzki more than doubled his production. He played in all 82 games, 81 as a starter, and was second on the team with 17.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 0.83 blocks per game.

This season, Nowitzki has solidified his position as legitimate NBA star. He ranks among the league's top 20 in 15 statistical categories. Averaging 37.6 minutes per game, he leads the Mavericks in scoring and rebounding at 21.8 points and 9.2 boards. He's scored in double figures in every game but one this season, including a career-high 38 points to go along with 17 rebounds in a win over the Magic on Jan. 18. More importantly, Nowitzki has teamed with Michael Finley to put Dallas in comfortable position for its first playoff appearance in 11 years.

Nowitzki rounded out NBA.com's Global Week 2001 festivities with a live chat on March 17.

Deepak S. at 11:38am ET
Hey Dirk! I am a big fan of overseas players like yourself, and I was wondering about the adjustment you had to make from playing overseas to the NBA.

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:39am ET
It was tough ... over there it is so different. Here everything is much more athletic and more physical.
Steve in Lindale, TX at 11:40am ET
What has it been like as a foreigner moving into big Dallas-Fort Worth?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:41am ET
I like it here. It's a nice city and I think what is the most important is the people gave me a really warm welcome here. It's a little different from Germany because I'm from a little town so I've had to find my way. But I've been here for a little while now so I'm not new anymore.
Jerrod at 11:41am ET
What has been your favorite moment in your NBA career thus far?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:42am ET
I don't even know. That's a good question. I don't really have a favorite moment. Of course, winning is so much fun so maybe it was my first NBA win. My first year we lost our first game and then the second game we won, so just seeing everyone happy after the game was great.
Katie at 11:42am ET
Hey Dirk! By the way, you are a really cool b-ball player. What do you work on most in practice?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:43am ET
Pretty much everything. I think I still have a lot of weak parts in my game, like in defense I work on rebounding a lot. On offense, I work on post moves because I play the three now so I'm usually taller than my opponent so I work on the mismatch. Ballhandling, there are really a lot of things to work on.
Chloe at 11:43am ET
What affected you to make this big decision to leave you country?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:44am ET
The NBA is the best league in the world -- there's no doubt about that. It always was a dream of mine. Once I had this opportunity, I had to take it.
ReSpawn at 11:44am ET
How is the contact with your German relatives now?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:45am ET
My father is here right now for two weeks; my mother was here in January. My sister was here a couple times. And in the summer I go home right away. I get to see everyone over there and I live at home with my parents. It's great.
steve trendell at 11:45am ET
Do you see your team going far in the playoffs??

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:46am ET
I don't know. Our big goal before the season was to make the playoffs and so far we're having a great season. But we've never been to the playoffs in the last 10 years so it's tough. Once we get there, I think we can beat anyone in a five game series. We should be fine.
ReSpawn at 11:46am ET
And what did your family in Germany say about your decision to go to the USA?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:47am ET
Of course they are proud. Drafted that high, everyone was so surprised at first. They were honored, too, and really proud. My father said right away, "You have to do it." My mother was a little scared and said, "Maybe you should stay a little longer in Europe." I decided to go early and now that I look back, it was the best decision of my life.
Alan at 11:47am ET
Do you base your game on any former NBA player?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:48am ET
Not really. I would say I try to do my own thing. Every player tries to have his own career and that's what I'm trying to do. I like a lot of players like Larry Bird and Scottie Pippen, so I watch a lot of players, but I'm not really trying to do the same things.
Ben at 11:48am ET
What are you gonna do in the summer? I suppose you will visit your relatives, but what else?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:49am ET
I do a little holidays. I really like traveling and just see a little of the world. Then I try to spend a lot of time at home with my family. I'm gone for so long that I want to spend a lot of time in my hometown. I'll play for my country in the European Championships, too.
scott at 11:49am ET
Who's the toughest defender you've gone against this year?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:50am ET
That's a good question ... I'm not really sure. I think there are a lot of great defenders in the league. I can't think of one especially.
Jonathan at 11:50am ET
What has Juwan Hward done for the team?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:51am ET
He really gives us a low-post presence and we didn't have that. We can give him the ball any time and he can score on almost any defender. He can rebound and push the ball up the floor. He's really got a lot of skills and is playing phenomenal. He's been a big part of why we've won five in a row.
Tobi Kohr at 11:51am ET
Hey Dirk, who is your best friend in the team? How do you get along with Michael Finley?

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:52am ET
I think we all get along great; that's why we're winning. We have great chemistry. We all like to play together and hang out together. My friendship with Steve (Nash) is good and we do a lot together. Mike and I get along great, too. We do some stuff off the court together.

Dirk Nowitzki at 11:52am ET
I want to say hi to my fans and say thanks for supporting the Mavs and hopefully we can do some damage in the playoffs!