ESPN Dallas 103.3 FM's Chuck Cooperstein, aka "The Voice of the Mavericks", is with the Dallas Mavericks on their first European excursion and will blog on the team's events daily for ESPNDallas.com.

It’s another busy day for Dirk Nowitzki. His Mavericks practiced for more than two hours at the O2 World Arena, after which he held another full-blown news conference. He will make appearances this afternoon on behalf of Nike, as well as at the NBA Fan Zone -- although given the rain in Berlin, that might be canceled.

But the biggest event comes tonight when he receives the AmCham Germany TransAtlantic Partnership Award 2012, at a black tie affair. So, for what, exactly, is he being honored?

From the press release:

Based on the far-reaching tradition of U.S.–German relations, the AmCham Germany Transatlantic Partnership Award honors active, examplary, and long-term initiatives by Germ or American individuals and institutions. This applies particularly in regard to the future and stability of the German-American friendship.

The array of individuals and institutions eligible to receive the award ranges from people in business, politics and academia to those active in cultural and athletic institutions. Awardees are chosen based on their outstanding contribution and positive influence on transatlantic relations. These contributions may be an exceptional individual performance, a life’s work, or a continuous commitment.

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Especially for young people, Dirk Nowitzki serves as a role model in competitive sports and particularly in Basketball. Additionally, as a benefactor, he has dedicated himself to support and endorse sports activities, fairness and team spirit.

" Despite his personal achievements and outstanding success in Basketball, Dirk Nowitzki has remained a modest and down-to-earth person. This in particular makes him a role model in multiple ways.

" During the award speech of the 'Silbernes Lorbeerblatt', Germany’s highest sports award, which Dirk Nowitzki received in 2011, Germany’s former President Christian Wulff summed it up well when he remarked, “When hundreds of thousands of people in Dallas and Würzburg, as well as millions of Americans, celebrate the victory of the Dallas Mavericks, something extraordinary happens in the hearts and minds of these people, something that not even the finest image brochure of Germany could achieve.”

Others who have received this award include Microsoft Founder Bill Gates, and Hasso Plattner, the founder of German software giant SAP AG.

As if Dirk, didn’t already reside in some pretty rarified air. Here’s one more example.