Dirk Nowitzki tried to send a heartfelt message to Hannes Steinbach, but no one heard it.
While on the NBA draft interview couch at Barclays Center after being selected by the Charlotte Hornets at No. 14 overall on Tuesday, the camera immediately cut to Nowitzki, who is also from the same hometown of Würzburg, Germany.
On ESPN, the audio did not work, and everyone watching live had no idea what was being said, even though it appeared Steinbach and Lisa Salters heard him just fine.
“Sorry for the audio,” Salters said as the interview concluded with Steinbach.
Though The Post did obtain the audio of what was actually said by Nowitzki in the message to Steinbach.
“Hannes, congratulations, my man. Another kid from Würzburg in the league, incredible. I’ve known you since you were born. I’ve followed your journey, and I’m super proud of you and how you’ve handled everything,” Nowitzki said on the ESPN broadcast. “Enjoy this moment with your family. And speaking of, I’m so glad you didn’t get your dad’s athleticism and hands. Enjoy this moment and congratulations.
Salters then joked to Steinbach’s father, Burkhard Steinbach, who was a teammate of Nowitzki for five years in the German League
“If he didn’t get his skills from you, where did he get them from?”
“From the mother,” Burkhard responded.
Burkhard played with Nowitzki in their hometown of Würzburg roughly 30 years ago.
Steinbach played for the Würzburg Baskets as a part of the German youth program but attended the University of Washington, where he led the Big Ten in rebounds with 11.6 while scoring 18.6 points per game and shooting 58.6 percent from the field.