NBA star Dirk Nowitzki is a Swansea City fan

3rd March

He has not been a supporter for long, but he is surely Swansea City's biggest fan.
7ft NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki has long been an avid follower of the Premier League.
And now Nowitzki's brother-in-law, Martin Olsson, plays for the Swans, the Jack Army has a couple of new members in the United States.
Nowitzki's wife Jessica is the older sister of Martin and his identical twin Marcus, who plays for Derby County.
And the Nowitzkis are thrilled to see Martin thriving in Paul Clement's rejuvenated Swans side.



"I'm not going to pretend to have always been a Swansea fan, but I do like the way the team has played in the last few seasons and also recently under Paul Clement," said Nowitzki, who plays for the Dallas Mavericks.
"I hope all goes well for the rest of the season and I look forward to visiting Liberty Stadium when possible."
Born and raised in Germany, Nowitzki joined the Mavericks back in 1998 and has played for the club ever since.
The 38-year-old has enjoyed a glittering career, making the NBA All-Star team on 13 occasions.
Though basketball is his forte, Nowitzki loves watching football.
He and his wife have made regular trips to Europe to watch the Olsson twins in action, and the hope is that they will be over to watch the Swans in action later this year.
Nowitzki already has a Swans shirt, having been sent one by the club's American owners.



"Everybody who knows me know that I love football and it's great that both my brothers-in-law play," he added.
"My wife and I try to watch as many of their games as we can and I also organise a charity football game in Germany every year for my foundation. 
"We've been over a few times to the UK to watch Martin and Marcus play and also spent the summer in France watching Martin play for the Swedish national team in the European Championship."



Martin has made a fine start to life at the Liberty having signed from Norwich during the January transfer window.
The Swede has helped his new club to victories over Liverpool, Southampton and Leicester City, scoring his first Swans goal in the win over the Foxes.
And he hopes his brother-in-law will soon be in South Wales to see him in action.
"He is always watching the games and he has a Swans shirt already," Olsson said.
"The NBA season clashes with the football season so it's hard for him to come over.
"But he wants to come and watch Swansea. Hopefully he will have the chance to come at the beginning of next season."
 


*You can read much more from Martin Olsson in Sunday's Jack Magazine.
He talks sport in the family, relegation battles and playing for Clement, the man who previously signed his brother.
Also in Jack Magazine, we hear from head coach Clement, club skipper Leon Britton and chairman Huw Jenkins, as well as chief operating officer Chris Pearlman.
We look back at the Swans' century of top-flight wins, and look at the footballing families who have worn the white shirt down the years.
We catch up with former skipper and manager Nick Cusack and Vetch old boy Jason Bowen, and we speak to Swans data scientist Alex Thomas. 
And there is plenty more in this edition of Jack Magazine, including news from the development squad, the academy and the ladies' team, as well as all you need to know about Sean Dyche's Burnley side.
Issue 14 of the Premier League campaign is available for just £3 from around the Liberty, the club shop and online.
Jack Magazine really is a must-have for any Swans fan, so don't miss out.