On Wednesday, Los Angeles will play host to the Dallas Mavericks, a team featuring Dirk Nowitzki, friend of Clippers center Chris Kaman and also his teammate on the German national basketball team during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. To Kaman, it’s just another day at the office and getting a victory remains the primary focus.
“It’s like any other game to me,” said Kaman following Saturday’s 94-90 Clippers victory over the Toronto Raptors in which he scored 17 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and blocked three shots. “It’s just another guy, but I’m cool with him off the court. If something funny happens, I’ll laugh about it, but the most part is trying to get a win.”
The last time the Clippers met the Mavericks was on January 25. The Clippers suffered a 112-105 loss, but were without the services of Eric Gordon or Kaman, who were both sidelined with injuries.
Nowitzki scored 20 points in 30 minutes, going 6-for-15 from the field and 2-of-5 from three-point territory. This Wednesday, Kaman will do his part as player and also as coach, interjecting advice on how to best guard the NBA’s Most Valuable Player in 2007.
“I know what he wants to do,” Kaman added. “I know what he’s good at. You just try to limit the touches he has. They (Mavericks) give him the ball 100 times a game, so he’s gonna be successful and he’s a great player.
“I mean he’s proven himself in this league for years and years; and he’s a good guy as well. I enjoyed the German national team with him and had a good experience doing that.”
As reported by Lisa Dillman of the LA Times, Kaman is pondering participation in the European championships in Lithuania this summer as a member of the German squad. The tournament will span from late August to September and serve as a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics that will take place in London.
"If Dirk plays, I will," Kaman said. "If he's not playing, then I'm not playing. It's all on him."
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