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Germany will be without Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki at next month's European Championship in Poland.
The German basketball federation said Friday that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would not allow Nowitzki to take part in the championship, even though the forward has played for Germany at several major international events before.
Federation president Ingo Weiss said there were no hard feelings, however, and that "we accept this decision completely."
Weiss said that "over the past 10 years, we've had an excellent and reliable partnership with Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, who always made it possible for Dirk to play for the national team."
Nowitzki said he would have liked to play, "but I can understand Mark Cuban's position."
Cuban confirmed in an e-mail to the Dallas Morning News that he had nixed Nowitzki's participation in the European Championship.
"We had agreed last year that after his Olympics run, he would take a year off," Cuban told the Morning News. "That simple. He is not retiring from International Competition."
The German basketball federation said Friday that Mavericks owner Mark Cuban would not allow Nowitzki to take part in the championship, even though the forward has played for Germany at several major international events before.
Federation president Ingo Weiss said there were no hard feelings, however, and that "we accept this decision completely."
Weiss said that "over the past 10 years, we've had an excellent and reliable partnership with Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks, who always made it possible for Dirk to play for the national team."
Nowitzki said he would have liked to play, "but I can understand Mark Cuban's position."
Cuban confirmed in an e-mail to the Dallas Morning News that he had nixed Nowitzki's participation in the European Championship.
"We had agreed last year that after his Olympics run, he would take a year off," Cuban told the Morning News. "That simple. He is not retiring from International Competition."
