Myles Turner Speaks on Looking Up to Mavs Icon Dirk Nowitzki
DALLAS — Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki left a major impact on the game of basketball as a seven-footer that normalized the mastery of jump shooting for bigs, among many other impacts on the game. Among the players to be inspired was Dallas Fort-Worth area native and current Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner.
Turner is best known for his elite shot blocking and defensive impact, but has become one of the more impact 3-point shooting threats at the center position as well. He's worked on adding layers to his game over the years, like the use of a turnaround jumpers and one-legged fadeaway at times. It's easy to see how watching Nowitzki had an impact.
During an appearance on the"Run Your Race" podcast with former Dallas Mavericks guard Theo Pinson, Turner was asked which players he looked up to in high school and first named Nowitzki.
“Bro, I mean, obviously being from the [Dallas] area, it was fun for all seven footers to step outside and shoot like Dirk [Nowitzki], right? After every game, you're watching him," Turner said. "I watched that final series [against the Miami Heat], and I'm literally going right to the backyard just working on my fadeaways and all sorts of stuff. "
Among other players Turner mentioned when reflecting on players he looked up to in high school include LaMarcus Aldridge and Kevin Durant. Both were tall shooting threats with a different style of attacking the defense. Aldridge is from the Dallas area, while Durant was an iconic player at the University of Texas, where Turner attended.
"LaMarcus Aldridge was another big one, being from right down the street," Turner said. And then KD. Everybody wants to be like KD, bro. Especially going into Texas. He just had a crazy aura and handle about himself that is like everybody wants to emulate."
"I never really like wanted to model my game after anybody," Turner said. "I hate it when reporters ask me who do you want to be like, who do you want to model your game after? I'm going to take bits and pieces for everybody and make it my own."
While Turner, a DFW native, grew up watching Nowitzki while he was at the peak of his powers with the Mavs, the next generations of players will not be able to say the same. Regardless, the lasting impact that Nowitzki will have on the game as a whole will be felt forever.
"Probably just the ability to shoot at the seven-foot frame," Nowitzki told DallasBasketball.com when asked about his lasting basketball impact at his Hall of Fame press conference. "That was really my strength, of course, doing little other things, but people always remember me for my ability to stretch the floor and play in the mid-range a little bit — some of my fadeaway shots. So that's really what I brought to the game.
"I wasn't a great rebounder, defender, none of that," Nowitzki explained. "I was a scorer at heart, and I always wanted to score for my team and get us going, and that was the best part of my game."
