A photo of President Uhuru Kenyatta and former NBA player Dirk Nowitzki captured during a state banquet at State House on Monday, February 24, has gone viral.
The photo attracted the attention of many Kenyans due to the height of the retired German professional basketball player compared to that of the president.
Nowitzki stood at a towering 7′ 0″ feet compared to President Kenyatta's 6′ 1″, who is by no standards short.
Nowitzki was one of the delegates who accompanied German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier to Kenya.
Growing up, the player was a tall child and most of the time, he stood above his peers by a foot or more. In fact, from his Twitter page, he refers to himself as the 'Tall Baller from the G'
Dirk Nowitzki, who retired foin April 2019, is identified by fans and fellow athletes as the greatest player to ever don the Dallas Mavericks jersey.
According to a 2019 report by Forbes, Nowitzki was valued at $242 million, which is approximately Ksh24 billion.
Nowitzki is married to a Kenyan lady known as Jessica Olsson.
Olsson was born in 1982 in Gavle, Sweden to a Swedish father and Kenyan mother, Njeri Waikwa, from Nanyuki.
The two met at a charity event in 2010 that had been organised for sports. At the time, she worked at the Dallas Art Gallery.
The legendary basketball player immediately became smitten with Jessica and the two began dating.
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.
“I think we just clicked intellectually. She likes art, she likes sports. Her brothers both played soccer. She grew up around sports. We both love tennis and we love to travel. We both love kids and family,” Nowitzki told Dallas News at the time.
The couple is blessed with three children, Malaika Nowitzki, Max Nowitzki, and Morris Nowitzki.
