Dirk Nowitzki's active career came to an end in April 2019, but everyone is still talking about the basketball superstar. The city of Dallas, where Nowitzki played for the Mavericks for 20 years, has named a street after him and since November 6, the 41-year-old is also on the curriculum at Harvard Business School.
This Wednesday, the case study "Dirk Nowitzki: Changing the Game" was taught for the first time by Professor Boris Groysberg as part of the "Owner/President Management" program. Groysberg wrote the case study together with Professor Sascha L. Schmidt, Director of the Center for Sports and Management at WHU - Otto Beisheim School of Management, and Evan M.S. Hecht. The Nowitzki case study deals with lifelong learning and the options the superstar has for the time after his active sports career.
Dirk Nowitzki was personally present at the premiere and surprised the 180 CEOs from over 40 countries who attended the course with his visit. Together with his wife Jessica, the Würzburg native was available for questions.
Students have been impressed by Dirk‘s humbleness, work ethic and willingness to get the most out of his talent. Dirk said that he was enjoying the grind of getting better and that he never saw himself as a finished product but rather as work in progress. Students also realized that many aspects of being a professional basketball player are also applicable to general business practice and thanked him with standing ovations.
Since Harvard distributes its case studies online, the Nowitzki Case will not only be used at Harvard Business School and WHU, but also in teaching worldwide.