Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki to skip world championship for Germany

Germany’s Nowitzki to skip world championships

FRANKFURT, Germany — Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will not play for Germany at next month’s world championship in Turkey.

The German basketball federation said Tuesday that the nine-time All-Star would be back for the 2011 European Championship that will also serve as a qualifying tournament for the 2012 Olympics in London.

The announcement came shortly after the Mavericks signed the 32-year-old Nowitzki to a new contract, a deal reportedly worth over $80 million for four years.

The 12-year NBA veteran was the league’s MVP in 2007. He became the 34th player in league history to reach 20,000 career points on Jan. 13 and ranks 27th among all-time scorers.