Photo: FIBA

Former German national team and NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki became a global ambassador for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Per the official announcement of FIBA: “Dirk Nowitzki becomes the third global sporting icon to be named an ambassador of the first-ever 32-team World Cup, joining Yao Ming and Kobe Bryant.

Nowitzki has had an illustrious playing career for Germany and consistently was a star performer at FIBA competitions for the better part of two decades (1999-2015).

Earlier this month, Nowitzki brought the curtain down on his illustrious 21-year NBA playing career – the entirety of which he spent with the Mavericks.

He is one of the greatest players to have ever played in FIBA competitions and was a trail blazer in showing that big players could do more than play in the low post by being an unstoppable threat out on the perimeter.

As a global ambassador, Nowitzki will help promote the World Cup by taking part in activities on the Road to China 2019 as well as being present at the first-ever 32-team edition of FIBA’s flagship competition.”