Dirk Nowitzki should really stick to playing basketball.

The Dallas Mavericks star returned to his native Germany during the NBA off-season and took part in a charity match on Wednesday night in Mainz, ahead of the German Grand Prix in nearby Hockenheim.

Nowitzki captained a team against a driver's all-star team captained by Sebastian Vettel. The game was played with all the proceeds going to a Michael Schumacher-supported charity.

The 38-year-old was the star of the show, and even paid tribute to Simone Zaza's infamous penalty in Italy's loss to Germany in the Euro 2016 quarter-finals.

Nowitzki is one of the best European players ever to play in the NBA. He has won the MVP award, was part of the Mavericks' 2011 title-winning team and has won 13 All-Star awards.

Despite all those accomplishments, he showed why his skills are best served on the hardwood courts of America, and not the grass pitches of Germany.