Nowitzki Throws out the Rangers First Pitch

2011 NBA Champion Dirk Nowitzki threw out the first pitch at Rangers Ballpark in Arlington before their game with the NY Mets.

Nowitzki stepped up to the mound with a basketball in hand and baseball in his pocket while wearing his personalized "Nowitzki" Rangers jersey and hat as the crowd gave him a standing ovation.


He threw up his well-known fadeaway jumper to Young at home plate. Then, he took the baseball and threw it high at Young. Young had to jump up to catch it.

Dirk says that he brought the heat:

"I think I had a little more work in on the jumper, so I think it was a little more fluent," Nowitzki said. "The only thing I wanted to do on the pitch was not keep it low. Everybody's making fun of me, I can't do the John Wall, who obviously left it very low and early low, so I actually kept it a little high, but it was better than a bounce, I guess."

"I haven't really practiced. Last time they gave me like 10 minutes in the back, but today I was so busy and meeting everybody, so I didn't have time to practice. So I think I did all right. But I brought the heat."

The basketball Dirk brought was then signed by him and Young and is being auctioned off at the Texas Rangers Foundation kiosk.