Nowitzki Gives Advice to HS Athletes, Students Respond With Gratitude

When Dirk Nowitzki gives advice to young athletes, they listen.

"If I wasn't comfortable off the floor, for me, it was very hard then to show and be comfortable on the floor," Nowitzki said.

Which is why Trey, a non-profit organization that coaches high school student athletes to make a difference in their communities, partnered with Nowitzki to have him answer questions from North Texas students on Zoom.

"Having him there to answer our questions, tell us how he succeeded, how he's giving back to the community, it's really comforting to see," said Bishop Lynch junior basketball player Jack Slaughter.

The event lasted 45 minutes, and included questions like this one,"What was your biggest hardship in the league and in life in general and how did you overcome it with your support system?" Slaughter asked.

"I think the hardest time in the league was after we lost the Finals," Nowitzki said. "Well first,it started with making it. My first year was super hard."

"To have that credibility and buy-in from someone as amazing as Dirk, and for him to want to get involved with what we do is hugely satisfying," said Trey Athletes co-founder Rebecca Feickert. "I think it's just the start of bigger and better things to come."

It also included a little ribbing, with Slaughter able to prove there was a time he once beat Dirk in a shootout.

"What happened? You beat me in knockout at Mavs camp?" Dirk asked.

"Yes sir," Slaughter said.

"I let you win," Nowitzki said while laughing. "I let you win."

"No, I got you the whole time," Slaughter joked.

Slaughter spent the evening learning at that camp how to be a role model. Because when Dirk Nowitzki gives advice to young athletes, they listen.

"It was nice to see that you can relate to him in more ways than just that we play basketball," Slaughter said.