Dirk Nowitzki hopes record-breaking year leads him and Mavericks to a championship

With several records this season under his belt, Nowitzki isn't ready to rest until he wins a championship.

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DALLAS — This year has proven to be a season to remember for Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki, who has achieved several career milestones this season alone. It will continue on Valentine’s Day as he will make an appearance in front of his “second” hometown crowd for the NBA All-Star game.

The last time Dallas hosted the NBA All-Star game, Nowitzki, a native of Wurzburg, Germany, was just 7 years old. (And to be clear, since it matters, the game this year is in Arlington.)

But unlike the last DFW-area NBA All-Star game, this time, Nowitzki is starring in it. Nowitzki was selected as a reserve for the Western Conference in the 2010 NBA All-Star game at the new Cowboys Stadium on February 14.

The 11-year pro is no stranger to the All-Star games. This year’s festivities will be his ninth consecutive All-Star appearance.

“It is an honor to represent the Mavericks in my new hometown of Dallas,” Nowitzki said. “I am always thankful for the opportunity to play in the All-Star game. We hope to put on a good show for our fans.”

Earlier this month, Nowitzki became the 34th player as well as the first European-born player in NBA history to eclipse the 20,000 point mark in his illustrious career against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 13.

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Dirk Nowitzki high-five

“Obviously, in the future in 10 or 20 years, it will be a great achievement. I'll look back on it and be proud ... We just needed that win to make this night a little more special, I guess," Nowitzki said of the feat – despite the fact that the Mavs lost that game.

Nowitzki is one of only five active players to achieve the 20,000 goals mark. The other are Los Angeles’ Kobe Bryant, Cleveland's Shaquille O'Neal, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson, and Boston duo Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen.

Nowitzki acknowledges what he has accomplished, but the competitive seven-footer still eyes one more prize – the big one: the Larry O’Brien trophy.

"It's pretty amazing how far I got in 12 years, but my main goal now is to win a championship. All of the individual goals will be nice once my career is over, I can look back -- hey, I scored 20,000 points, I got an MVP ... All that is sweet, but it doesn't mean that much to me as of right now. I'm still trying to chase my dreams, and that's winning a championship," Nowitzki said.

Just 15 days after he scored 20,000 points, Nowitzki reached another milestone when he took the court against the Phoenix Suns as he passed former Maverick Brad Davis’ for most games played in franchise history (884).

This season, Nowitzki is averaging a team-high 25.2 points to go with 7.9 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steal, 1.2 blocks, and 37.9 minutes. The NBA veteran has led Dallas to a Southwest Division-leading 30-17 through the first half of the season.

It looks as though he's hoping that 2010 is his big year to shine. But will the final chapter in his storybook season end with an NBA championship? Stay tuned.