NBA legend Dirk Nowitzki on holiday in Kenya
By Hilary KimuyuNBA legend and former Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki is on holiday in Kenya. On Monday, Nowitzki shared a photo of himself feeding a giraffe at the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi.
This is in keeping with tradition for the towering Mavericks’ all-time leading scorer, who, at least once every year, doesn’t need to announce that he is visiting Kenya, which is like a second home for him and his family.
“Finally I got to ask the worst question ever: ‘How’s the air up there?'” Nowitzki, who won an NBA championship in 2011, cheekily captioned the photo.
Finally I got to ask the worst question ever: “How’s the air up there…” pic.twitter.com/AQFaCG2r8N
— Dirk Nowitzki (@swish41) May 15, 2023
Also read: Nime-chill: Joyce Maina’s unforgettable TV debut
The German national is married to Kenyan-born Jessica Olsson, who is the daughter of a Kenyan mother and Swedish father.
The couple tied the knot in 2012. First, in a traditional ceremony at Nanyuki, and a formal wedding at the family’s home in Dallas, Texas. At the time, Jessica worked at the Dallas Art Gallery and Nowitzki was flying high in his basketball career.
Although she was raised in Sweden, Jessica keeps her Kenyan identity and even made headlines when she decided to bring her superstar husband to Kenya for “ruracio” (traditional Kikuyu dowry payment) in July 2012.
Also read: Sandra Mbuvi to daddy’s rescue after viral video of Sonko flaunting millions
“It was awesome. They took my wife away. They brought five or six girls out and they were all covered. The first thing I had to do was find my wife. So, I’m walking around and looking at how tall they are. I guess it’s one of the traditions. If you get it wrong, you got to pay the parents a goat or something. I was lucky I smelled her to find the right one. But that was just an experience that I’ll never forget,” Nowitzki told American sports website The Undefeated in 2017.
“I love the diverse nature that is in Kenya, be it in Nairobi or the Mount Kenya region which is very cold right now,” he said.
Often, Nowitzki’s visits to Kenya are are low-key, despite being one of the biggest names in basketball with a huge fan base across the world built over his remarkable two-decade professional career.
Also read: Njugush imitates Sonko, tickles Kenyans