“They booed me with 90 minutes on the clock” – Dirk Nowitzki on Jazz fans’ backlash after calling Utah “a bad city” originally appeared on Basketball Network.
There are a few sure ways to rile up an opposing NBA fan base. One of the fastest is trashing their city.
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Despite his down-to-earth and humble reputation, Dirk Nowitzki did just that. According to multiple reports, it happened during the 2001 NBA playoffs opener when his Dallas Mavericks faced the Utah Jazz.
“Utah is a bad city,” Nowitzki said at the time.
Nowitzki vs. the Utah Jazz
The 2001 NBA playoffs marked the start of the German forward’s legendary postseason run. Nowitzki, drafted by the Mavs in 1998, faced his first playoff challenge against the team led by the veteran duo of Karl Malone and John Stockton — two icons in the twilight of their careers.
Game 1 took place in Salt Lake City.
Every basketball fan knows the atmosphere there is electric during the regular season, and it only intensifies in the playoffs. It was the first time Nowitzki experienced that intensity firsthand, and after a narrow two-point loss to start the series, he made his infamous “Utah is a bad city” comment.
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Unsurprisingly, Jazz fans didn’t take it lightly. Before Game 2, the intensity at the Delta Center reached another level. The brunt fell on the Mavericks’ second-year player.
“I came in with 90 minutes on the clock shooting and there was a sign up there: ‘Germany is a bad city,'” recalled Nowitzki, per Deseret News. “They got me good. They booed me with 90 minutes on the clock.”
Was it all just a misunderstanding?
Reflecting on his early relationship with Jazz fans, Nowitzki admitted, “We got off on the wrong foot.”
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While that’s true, it was arguably a misunderstanding.
Nuances in language can have a big impact, and even a slight misphrasing can change meaning. This can be especially challenging for foreigners who don’t speak the language perfectly — and that was true for Nowitzki then.
Years later, the 2008 MVP clarified what he really meant by his “bad city” comment and how it got lost in translation.
“I said, ‘Well, Utah is a bad city,’ meaning it’s the playoffs and we shouldn’t spend too much time there. It’s hostile,” he explained. “I meant going home, sleeping in my own bed, is never bad.”
Needless to say, the damage was done. Dirk recalled coming home where “they blew the whole thing up. They were talking about it on TV that night already. I mean, they were trying to call my hotel room. It was awesome.”
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Ultimately, his “bad city” remark was actually more of a compliment. Drawing parallels to places like Portland, the 2011 NBA champion said cities without big football teams often invest everything in their basketball teams — and “that’s usually where the buildings get the loudest and the craziest. The fans really get into it.”
While Nowitzki’s criticism of Utah/Salt Lake City was mostly a misunderstanding, the same can’t be said for another former NBA player. Derek Harper famously rejected a trade offer to the Jazz, making his opinion on living there very clear.
“There was a Utah deal, but you go live in Utah. Nothing against Utah or their team, but I don’t want to live there,” the former guard said in 1997.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 15, 2025, where it first appeared.