Dirk goes from prodigy to All-Pro

The Mavericks' 7-footer benefited from a terrific tutor.
DALLAS (AP) -- When Dirk Nowitzki's shot failed him during the playoffs, there was only one person he could turn to for help.
The man who built it.
As Frankenstein-ish as that might sound, there's that sort of connection between basketball guru Holger Geschwindner and the monster of a player he created.
"I've said it all along, if I would not have met him when I was 16, 17, I wouldn't be here at this stage," Nowitzki said Friday from the platform of the NBA finals. "He taught me everything, he taught me all of the moves but also how to handle myself on and off the court. He's been like a second father to me. I learned pretty much everything from him."
They met by chance: Nowitzki was playing in his hometown of Wurzburg, Germany, in a game that overlapped the court time for Geschwindner, the captain of West Germany's 1972 Olympic team, and his friends.
Geschwindner saw a tall, skinny teen with sloppy skills but an innate knowledge of the game. Although he'd never been a coach, Geschwindner was so intrigued by Nowitzki's talent that he volunteered to work with him.
Soon, he realized he was dealing with a prodigy.
"After three, four practices, I said, 'Dirk, we have to talk to your parents,' " Geschwindner recalled.
Nowitzki already was dreaming of reaching the NBA; Geschwindner believed he could make it happen. It would take dedication and hard work, but they already had the most important ingredient -- raw ability.
"We made a five-year plan," Geschwinder said. "After three years, we made so much progress already that the NBA teams called."
Time to develop
The Dallas Mavericks drafted Nowitzki right around his 20th birthday. An awful team at the time, they could afford to endure his growing pains. And they were happy to let Geschwindner provide any help he could.
In an era where players in team sports travel with their own workout gurus, psychologists, masseuses and even manicurists, it's pretty refreshing to see someone voluntarily get told what to do by a 60-year-old man who isn't paid by his employer.
Then again, everything about their story is out of the ordinary.
Realizing how far behind his American peers Nowitzki was, Geschwindner decided his protege needed something unique to make him stand out against his competition.
So instead of teaching his budding 7-footer a sky hook or other moves associated with big men, he dragged him out to the 3-point line and kept him there.
"We knew one thing: A 7-footer who can play a little defense and is skinny has no chance in the NBA," Geschwindner said.
"So we had to demonstrate that he could do something they never had seen before -- a 7-footer who could shoot 3-pointers."
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