How tall is Dallas Mavericks center Dirk Nowitzki?

Dallas Mavericks center Dirk Nowitzki was seven feet tall.

Nowitzki, born in Würzburg, West Germany, in 1978, became one of basketball’s most recognizable tall shooters. The NBA lists him at 7 feet, or 2.13 meters. His height, high release point, and unusual one-legged fadeaway made his jump shot extremely difficult to defend, especially for traditional power forwards.

The German forward entered the NBA in 1998 after the Milwaukee Bucks selected him ninth overall and immediately traded his rights to the Dallas Mavericks. He spent his entire 21-season NBA career with Dallas, winning the 2011 NBA championship and Finals MVP award. He was also the 2007 NBA MVP and a 14-time All-Star.

A common mix-up is confusing Nowitzki with other famous seven-footers or assuming that a player listed at seven feet must play center. Nowitzki played primarily power forward and sometimes small-ball center, but his perimeter shooting and ball skills helped redefine what teams expected from a modern big man.