Dallas Mavericks all-star forward Dirk Nowitzki married his girlfriend of a year, Jessica Olsson, in a traditional African wedding ceremony in Kenya.
Sources close to the German-born Nowitzki and the Mavericks initially denied the union about a week ago. But photos emerged over the weekend.
It was a traditional Kikuyu wedding ceremony commonly referred to as Ngurario.
The short version of the Kikuyu wedding is meant to announce to the community that the daughter is engaged, provided relatives from both sides with an opportunity to get to know each other and conclude ruracio (dowry payments) discussions.
When a couple goes through the ruracio phase, their wedding is officially recognized by customary laws.
There was plenty of fun and and plenty to eat and drink. The bride, Jessica, was wearing a traditional Kikuyu garment and Dirk was in a dark brown traditional outfit with orange hues. She was also presented with a kiondo by elderly kikuyu women. She had to demonstrate how she would go to the market and shop for her husband.
The NBA star and Jessica held the ceremony over the July15th weekend.
Later the couple together with the guests danced to mugithi tunes. Jessica is born of a Kenyan mother and a Swedish father who both live in Sweden. Her two brothers, Martin and Marcus Olsson play professional football in the English Premier League.
Word is that there also was a second wedding ceremony in Germany, where the wedding traditions of that country were followed.
She is the associate director of the Goss-Michael Foundation art gallery based in Dallas.
She and Nowitzki met last summer in Dallas, where Nowitzki has been a perennial all-star that led the Mavericks to the franchise’s first ever NBA championship last year.
While they did not win the title this year – they lost in the first round – Nowitzki still had a great summer.
oh my! what a great person he is…and I hope she is.
Baloney, I heard from a reliable unnamed source that they were married in Hawaii!
I find the title offensive. Why couldn't they say they were married in a "kenyan" wedding, as opposed to an "african" wedding? What the heck does an "african" wedding mean?
Mish? Its sort of an ignorant shock factor thing.
Much ado about nothing. Why do you even care? Life is too short to get worked up over semantics or even ignorant statements. Do you really think the author was coming from a bad place or were they just making a generalization based on not knowing details. You really offended by what some dummy writes? Quit being soft…I'm gonna beat u up for sure now when I hit the 206
AW SNAP!
Dirk is about to be dipped in chocolate.
Just kidding people. Sorry, I couldn't resist. Best of luck to the newlyweds.
beautiful people!
Love you Dirk, but man its hard not to laugh at this picture!
GROSS
This chick is HOOOOT google her picture.
woooow! the bride of Frankenstein!
Right on baby. U all will b happy as long as u keep jealous, prejudice bullsh*t artists out of ur lives.
Good for Dirk! He got a brown sugar/Swedish butter cookie mixture. Yummy. She is fine. They'll make overly tall athletic children that will make other kids cry as they dominate all sports in school. I like how she comes from her own money and has her own job. A good match it seems like.
nice
Hello Mussie Habte; "Dirk Nowitski Marries Kenyan Jessica Olsson In Traditional African Ceremony." I found nothing demeaning in this. She is Kenyan and the ceremony was performed in the tradition of her African heritage. I think the cermemony and the couple are incredible. He at least embraces her culture. It wasn't the farce of Kim Kardashians nuptials. Just my view.
My point is that there are probably 100 different type of wedding ceremonies back home. If it's Kenyan, they should say Kenya. There is no such thing as an "African" wedding or "African" heritage to many of us. Only our specific heritage, weather you're Eritrean, Ethiopian, Kenyan, or etc. That is how many "Africans" feel when something is labeled African. To each their own I guess.
pongezi!
She's not Kenyan though. She's a swedish woman of kenyan descent. The title is wrong
I wonder what is wrong with her?
???? WTF!
Dirk found a black woman over the age of 14 without any kids AND she has a job…Damn…he needs to start playing the lottery, brother got some serious luck!
What! How could he not marry a Kardashian sister? Isn't one of them available right now?
Grow up loser people have a right to be happy with the person of their choice.Best of luck to the newly weds!
Good for Dirk. I always liked him. I like him even more now. He respects her enough to embrace her culture and not try to make her conform to his.
Ellen, what do you mean ".and I hope she is". She obviously is. He married her. You should be ashamed of yourself for saying that.
Obamaphone!
Just shows that with all the hatred in the world, all the racism. That love is still very color blind.
What do you mean Barb? Love comes in many forms and shades My Dear.
I would comment, but you're too gross to comment on. How did they let you in the millitary?
WTF? Keith you ignorant dbag liberal! ITS AN OPINION YOU DEMOCRATIC AHOLE!!!!!!!!!!!
It is his opinion dbag! As USUAL, liberals dont let anyone opine unless they agree with them! TYPICAL LIBERAL IGNORANT |INTOLERAT AHOLE!
he does look pretty freaking funny in that outfit, but mad respect to him for doing it her cultures way and not his.
why do people always have to search for negative when it comes to race??!! Nothing wrong with the article, no one is being downgraded. Remember black and white makes BLAKE GRIFFINS 🙂
I love my Marine Corps but I will say it is not different than the civilian world, closed minded individuals that group together to make there ignorance even more powerful (IN THEIR HEADS) SMH
Just came for the picture. made my day.
You must have grown up when this was legal, you can't just say that to someone who lived when this wasn't acceptable.