Frankfurt - Dirk Nowitzki is ready to play for Germany at the European championships if his NBA club, the Dallas Mavericks, gives its nod. Nowitzki said on Tuesday he was confident that Dallas owner Mark Cuban would release him for the September tournament in Poland which comes ahead of the new NBA season.
"I believe it will be a good argument for Dallas that I will be back in training and fit," the centre said.
The decision came after Nowitzki's planned summer wedding fell through when his now former fiancee Crystal Taylor was arrested last month on felony charges for theft.
"I originally had other plans in summer, but that changed over night," said Nowitzki. "Now I am in Germany anyway, so why shouldn't I play a little Euro."
Cuban has released Nowitzki for Germany duty in the past, including last year's Olympics in Beijing. The German basketball federation DBB said it would support Nowitzki but not approach Cuban.
Nowitzki will now stay in Germany after a family holiday in Crete to train with with his mentor Holger Gschwindner from mid-July onwards.
His US affairs are handled by a lawyer who will now look into whether Taylor is really pregnant. Nowitzki has said he wants sole custody for the child if he is the father.
Nowitzki said he had now recovered from the initial shock in the affair.
"I feel very good again now. It was tough at first, I was frustrated, sad, angry. I went through the whole emotional spectrum," said Nowitzki.
