http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-mavericks-nowitzki-coachjaile&prov=ap&type=lgns --- BERLIN (AP) -- Dirk Nowitzki's longtime coach and confidant was denied a request to be released from jail by a court Thursday. The court and district attorney's office said negotiations were continuing on how long Holger Geschwindner will be held while he's investigated for tax evasion. Nowitzki has worked with Geschwindner since he was a teenager and regards him as a ``second father.'' The coach puts the Dallas Mavericks' 7-footer through elaborate drills every NBA offseason to develop his game. ADVERTISEMENT The two were one week into their annual training program when Geschwindner was arrested July 19. ``The whole thing has bothered me enormously the last three weeks,'' Nowitzki told the German news agency DPA Wednesday at the German national team's training camp in Spain. ``I think often about him.'' Nowitzki is training for the European championships, which run from Sept. 15-24. Afterward, the All-Star will join the Mavericks for the new season. Under German law, the 59-year-old Geschwindner can be held several months without being charged. He was arrested on fears he would flee or suppress evidence. For that reason, the district attorney's office told The Associated Press a request by Nowitzki to train inside the jail was denied. ``That isn't a PR gag at all,'' Nowitzki said. ``I can learn a lot from Holger. He can still show me so much.'' Geschwindner's lawyer says the case centers on a 1996 document, which tax authorities suspect gave the coach a share of Nowitzki's earnings. The pair say they did not proceed with the deal. Germany has been tough on celebrities thought to dodge taxes, especially in sports. Steffi Graf's father spent time in jail; Boris Becker avoided the same fate by winning his case in court. --- TAKE THAT DIRK!!
