[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 48 (Monday, March 20, 2017)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E348]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




           RECOGNIZING DIRK NOWITZKI'S 30,000 POINT MILESTONE

                                 ______
                                 

                       HON. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, March 20, 2017

  Ms. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, it is with great 
pride for my hometown Dallas Mavericks and my good friend Dirk Nowitzki 
that I celebrate his 30,000th career point. On March 7th, 2017, with a 
baseline jump shot we have seen so many times, Dirk Nowitzki joined the 
ranks of NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, 
Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain in the 30K points club. I could not 
be happier for my friend.
  In 1998, Dirk Nowitzki, who was born in Germany, was drafted into the 
NBA and immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. Since then, he has 
played 19 seasons with the same team, and in that time won an MVP 
award, a national championship, and touched the minds and hearts of so 
many Dallasites, basketball fans and not. His professional dedication 
to our city is unmatched these days in professional sports, and so is 
his charm and sense of humor.
  But even more important than any basketball achievement, Dirk 
Nowitzki is a kind and good-natured person. He has made Dallas his 
home, and does not rest until all of its citizens enjoy better 
opportunities in their lives. He impresses me on the basketball court, 
but off the court, with people, is where his true splendidness is 
showcased. Mr. Speaker, may the record celebrate this historic 
accomplishment for a man who will be destined for history no matter 
what he does.

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