Nowitzki’s emotions on mend

When the private lives of pro athletes become public, it's not always pretty. Dallas Mavericks star Dirk Nowitzki is a recent example, even if nothing he did was disgraceful.

More details are emerging about Nowitzki's breakup with his fiancee, Cristal Taylor, who was arrested at his Texas home in May. Nowitzki also has been talking more about his personal problems.

It's a long, strange story. But here's the short version: Taylor, 38, has used at least eight aliases in her checkered past, something police discovered when taking her into custody on two outstanding warrants. She had multiple five-year prison sentences suspended. She racked up $330,000 in debt in a previous marriage, forcing her former husband into bankruptcy.

She claimed to be from Brazil; she is from St. Louis. It was reported that Taylor, who is pregnant, gave birth to three children who now are teenagers, and all have different biological fathers.

Nowitzki said he knew about none of that.

"In the beginning, I was very down and disappointed, sad and furious," Nowitzki told a German magazine. "I think someday I will be over it totally. I still want to have a family, but the wounds have to heal first. I had some bad judgment, and that was it."

Nowitzki reportedly bought Taylor a $250,000 engagement ring, so when he's ready, he'll have no problem finding a new girlfriend.

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, in an interview with Sports Illustrated's Dan Patrick, said Nowitzki should be emotionally recovered before the NBA season arrives.

"He's just getting through it, like anyone else who broke up with a girlfriend under not-so-pleasant circumstances," Cuban said. "In my opinion, this lady was a con artist, and Dirk was the victim."

• GREAT DEAL FOR DALLAS -- Nowitzki was involved in a memorable trade during the 1998 NBA Draft, and looking back, then-Mavericks coach Don Nelson made a genius move.

Nowitzki was drafted ninth by the Milwaukee Bucks, and Nelson worked out deals with the Bucks and Phoenix Suns. Dallas got Nowitzki and Suns reserve point guard Steve Nash, the Bucks received forward Robert Traylor, and the Suns got forward Pat Garrity. Now it's Nelson who looks like the con artist.

• UNSOLVED MYSTERY -- David Carradine, the star of the 1970s TV series "Kung Fu," was found dead in his hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand, under mysterious circumstances early this month.

Carradine had a couple of minor sports connections. He produced and starred in instructional videos on martial arts. He also had a son with Barbara Hershey, who played coach Norman Dale's (Gene Hackman) love interest in the basketball movie "Hoosiers."

Investigators think Carradine died from auto-erotic asphyxiation, which is neither a sport nor a recommended activity.

• HERTZ SO BAD -- Greg Cote of the Miami Herald, on signs of auto-industry cutbacks putting a crimp in NASCAR: "Mark Martin won last week's race in Michigan driving a Hertz rental car."

COMPILED BY MATT YOUMANS LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL