Mavericks great Dirk Nowitzki nearly knocked to the ground during fan's failed dunk attempt

NBA champion Dirk Nowitzki learned the hard way that giving a fan an opportunity to dunk over you can be a risky proposition.

The seven-footer appeared at a promotional event outside the Dallas Mavericks' home arena before Game 3 of the NBA Finals, and a fan at the event was eager to show off his dunking prowess.

Nowitzki stood under the basket and held the ball behind his head as the fan got a running start. 

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But the fan's dunk attempt was unsuccessful.