Dirk Nowitzki's Kids Changed Him - Facts about Their Lives

Dirk Nowitzki's kids, one girl and two younger boys, inherited a rich heritage from their parents. While they've been raised to appreciate their origins, Nowitzki and his wife, Jessica Olsson, ensured to instill discipline and kindness in their children.

Dirk Nowitzki played for the Dallas Mavericks from 1998, spanning 21 seasons, until 2019. The NBA star played his last game against the Phoenix Suns in 2019 before retiring that year. Though he refused to have a retirement tour, all those who appreciated his legacy insisted on celebrating him.

As he pulled into the American Airlines Parking, Dallas Mavericks employees formed an aisle with two lines and high-fived Nowitzki as he walked through, cheering for the former player as they acknowledged his exit from the game.

Nowitzki and his wife, Jessica Olsson, welcomed three kids into their union, one of whom has already shown an interest in sports. The former basketball player dedicated the first few years of his retirement to traveling and bonding with his children.

Speaking about his decades-long journey with the Mavericks, Nowitzki humorously remarked that he bled blue. His time on the court may have ended, but he hoped to return to the NBA business and assist within the Dallas Mavericks organization where he could.

Dirk Nowitzki Raises His Kids by Combining Love and Discipline

Nowitzki descended from Germany, while Olsson's parents were from Kenya and Sweden. The couple has an annual family tradition where, every summer, they travel to their home countries with their children to teach them about their heritage.

The trips also helped build familial relationships between their kids and family members. In the summer of 2017, Nowitzki revealed they went to Kenya and spent two weeks in the country along with Olsson's uncles, cousins, and grandmother.

Olsson's home was a special place for her husband and children. The former forward even hinted at buying a house in Kenya someday. Apart from Kenya, the family of five saw other parts of the world throughout the summer. The couple believed it would be beneficial, as Nowitzki explained:

"We don't want them to just grow up [in Dallas]. We were gone for three months this past summer. We want to show them different cultures, different languages, so they can grow up, become educated and make educated decisions when they're older on where they want to live, what they want to do."

He also opened up about constantly worrying as a parent about his children and the challenges they would face once they entered the world. Having children of color like Connie Britton and Heather Taras, he acknowledged the realities of racial injustice.

Nowitzki believed that raising his children with a "nice little mix" of love and discipline would teach them respect and help keep them out of harm's way. Though he felt that racial and social injustice "shouldn't be happening" in society, he still educated his kids, as he said:

"You're just trying to educate your kids so eventually if they do find themselves in a situation, they can talk themselves out of it or make the right decisions, make the right reads. "

When Nowitzki was still working, his wife was the primary caregiver to their children. They were born during the last years of his career, and Olsson was happy to "let him do his thing" because she knew it wasn't forever.

Though she handled most of their home life without her husband, Olsson said it helped because she "found her way" as a mother. However, after Nowitzki retired, the father of three was ever-present, assisting his wife and keeping a balance.

Raising kids in different growth stages was also a learning experience for Olsson, as she found that kids "became individuals" at an early age. Adapting to each of their personalities was a challenge, and although it was frustrating, she said it was also "exciting."

In the Nowitzki home, the kids, who attended the German International School, grew up speaking English, Swedish (mostly with their mom), and German (mostly with their dad). They were also exposed to ethnically diverse music, foods, and literature from a young age. Their parents believed that the younger they started, the better.

Malaika Nowitzki Finds the Things Her Father Does Embarrassing

Malaika is the eldest of Olsson and Nowitzki's children. She was born on July 24, 2013. She was almost Nowitzki's second baby, as his former girlfriend, Crista Taylor, once maintained a months-long lie, saying she was carrying his child.

The incident occurred in late 2009, and after being court-ordered to take a pregnancy test, the results returned negative. Although the deceit disheartened Nowitzki, he hoped to move on from it.

The year Malaika was born, he said he hoped Malaika would grow big enough to watch her dad's games before he retired. It was the last year of Nowitzki's contract, and though he had expressed his wish to continue playing for two or three more years, six more would pass before he finally stepped back from the basketball court.

When Nowitzki was honored with a statue at the American Airlines Center last December, Malaika and her brothers witnessed the unveiling ceremony. Afterward, when her dad addressed the press, Nowitzki revealed that Malaika had reached the parental embarrassment stage, as he said:

"I think my daughter was embarrassed as always [...]. She's only nine, but she's already in the, 'everything is emba—everything Papa does is embarrassing. So she didn't really come up on the stage and help me push the lever."

Max Nowitzki Helped Unveil His Father's Monument

Max drew his first breath on March 24, 2015. His dad was excited about his arrival and wondered if he and Olsson would have another child. Nowitzki referred to him as Maximus, a character from the film "Gladiator." Unlike Malaika, Max was excited to help his dad unveil his statue.

Morris Nowitzki Became Dirk Nowitzki's 3rd Child

Morris was born in November 2016, a month after his parents announced they were expecting him. Regarding his approach to fatherhood, Nowitzki, who idolized the late Kobe Bryant, said he didn't want to force his children into sports; they had the liberty to choose for themselves.

However, he also revealed that Malaika played and enjoyed tennis. Fatherhood also brought a significant shift to Nowitzki's priorities, as basketball used to be his number one, but the birth of his children changed everything and him. He enjoyed watching them evolve and learn something different every day.