DIRK NOWITZKI, the German playmaker who led the Dallas Mavericks to an NBA Finals victory, admitted he was “overwhelmed” by the response as he came back to his tiny home city Wuerzburg yesterday.

HE held the trophy into the air, Dirk Nowitzki marching across the court pushing midnight now, pushing past his wildest dreams as a skinny, scared teenager arriving in the NBA all those years ago.

THE NEWS spread like wildfire during the third quarter of Tuesday night’s NBA Finals Game Four.

HEAD coach of the Irish basketball team, Gerry Fitzpatrick, has announced his squad for next week’s friendly against England and the European Championship semi-final round games against Germany, Croatia and former Macedonia (FYROM).