Before revolutionizing the power forward position with his signature fadeaway and seven-foot shooting touch, Dirk Nowitzki stepped onto an NBA court for the very first time. The 20-year-old from Würzburg, Germany, checked into the game at Seattle's Key Arena on February 5, 1999, marking the beginning of what would become a legendary 21-season career with the Dallas Mavericks. In his debut against the SuperSonics, the lanky European import — still finding his footing in a league skeptical of international big men — flashed glimpses of the player he'd become. The foundation was being laid in real time, as the future 2006-07 MVP would spend the next two decades perfecting his craft, shedding the "soft European" label one aggressive drive at a time, and ultimately delivering Dallas its first championship while becoming the prototype for every stretch big who followed. · Feb 6, 1999