It was one of those moments that will never show up in a box score.
Hannes Steinbach had just achieved his NBA dream. The Würzburg native was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the 14th pick of the NBA Draft. Millions of fans saw the emotional moment, the hugs, the relief, and the joy. What many viewers didn’t hear, however, may have been the most special part of the entire night.
Dirk Nowitzki reached out personally.
“Hannes, congratulations. Another kid from Würzburg in the league. Incredible. I’ve known you since you were born. I’ve followed your journey, and I’m incredibly proud of you.”
A special message from Dirk Nowitzki to Hannes Steinbach after he was drafted 14th overall by the @hornets 🙌 pic.twitter.com/sRzpmyyuNa
— NBA (@NBA) June 24, 2026
It doesn’t get much more Würzburg than that.
The connection between the two goes far beyond basketball. Steinbach’s father, Burkhard, once played alongside a young Dirk Nowitzki in Würzburg. Decades later, Nowitzki, now an NBA legend, sat in front of a camera and congratulated the son of his former teammate for making it to the best basketball league in the world.
It is exactly the kind of story that has defined German basketball over the last 25 years. Dirk opened the door. After him came players like Dennis Schröder, Maxi Kleber – another Würzburg product – the Wagner brothers, Isaiah Hartenstein, Tristan da Silva, and Ariel Hukporti. Now, Hannes Steinbach represents the next generation knocking on that same door.
And perhaps that’s why there was so much pride in Nowitzki’s voice.
Steinbach’s journey was anything but straightforward. From Würzburg’s youth system to Germany’s professional ranks and eventually the University of Washington, he steadily developed into one of the most intriguing big men in his draft class. A strong college season elevated him from prospect to lottery candidate and ultimately to a Top-15 selection.
But for one brief moment on draft night, none of that really mattered.
It wasn’t about rebounds, scouting reports, draft projections, or NBA contracts.
It was about Würzburg.
About a young man who grew up there. About a basketball legend who walked the same path before him. And about the realization that a city of roughly 130,000 people on the banks of the Main River continues to produce NBA stories at an astonishing rate.
