Sometimes, all you need is an angel in a cap and — a legendary German legend, Dirk Nowitzki. Known for his humility as much as his basketball brilliance, the former NBA player once refused to have a beer with his boss, almost risking his job. Well, he had his simple reason. Fast forward a few years, and he is not only helping a neighboring beer brand grow but has also made successful moves into the food and hospitality scene. Thanks to the retired NBA player’s active role and a little help from a Grammy-winning artist’s euphoric fandom, the brand is strengthening its position.

Let’s take a look at the founders first. Ben Rogers and Jeff “Skin” Wade have been friends since they were 13. Beyond their long-standing friendship, they have also shared a passion for broadcasting, hosting their local radio show in Dallas, Fort Worth since 2001. During their time working on the radio, they visited different breweries, which inspired them to start their own business. Consequently, in 2020, Ben and Jeff founded Rollertown Beerworks. To help bring their vision to life, they enlisted the support of Ben’s younger brother, Jonathan, who now serves as the CEO. But what’s a business without growth? Here comes our hooper.

Slowly, the brand decided to rope in Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki as well. They even launched a beer named The Big German after the former NBA player. Also, not to forget, the beers are already reaching far and beyond. Both the owners and their cool beer were seen at the 6th Annual Dirk Nowitzki Foundation Tennis Classic. Now, within just five years, the founders are all set to expand their presence in Frisco. As announced in 2022, Rollertown’s new Frisco headquarters will expand production from 2,750 to 20,000 barrels annually, thanks to the larger facility. But how big is too big?

Standing on historic city-owned land, the site plans feature an 11,000-square-foot production facility with a new 60 BBL brewhouse, a 13,000-square-foot taproom, beer garden, rooftop deck, and an 800-square-foot entertainment stage. Construction began in March, with an opening planned for fall 2025. With such a large facility on the hook comes a bit of celebration, and it dates back to 2023!

Back in 2023, the brand had a viral moment back in 2023, when famous actor, director, and Swiftie Ben Stiller was seen rocking a Rollertown cap at a Taylor Swift concert. Since then, the brand has continued to thrive. The company reached new heights after joining hands with food and alcoholic beverage distributor Ben E. Keith. Also, the founders’ idea to team up with Nowitzki worked out well, too. And something about Nowitzki getting into the beer business brings to mind the time he regretted refusing one.

Why did refusing a beer risk Nowitzki’s job?

The story goes all the way back to Nowitzki’s rookie days. At the time, he wasn’t very familiar with how things worked in business, especially when it came to some of the notable figures in the industry. So, it wasn’t all that surprising that Nowitzki didn’t recognize the Dallas Mavericks’ future owner, Mark Cuban.

He did recognize the man who often sat courtside. But the NBA champ had no idea that this gentleman was interested in buying the franchise and would soon become his boss. One day, Nowitzki and Steve Nash ran into Cuban at a club, and the latter offered to buy them a beer. When Nash asked Dirk about the man, the German rookie had a simple reaction, still unaware of who Cuban was.

“I just replied, ‘Nah, I’m good. I’m not in the mood for a beer right now,’” he said as per a spokesperson. It was only days later that Nowitzki found out the man from the club was actually Mark Cuban. “Donnie Nelson, the general manager, came up to me and said, ‘You probably remember the guy who wanted to buy you a beer at the club. By the way, he’s our new owner.’ At first, I was completely confused…but then, that guy actually walked around the corner, and my jaw dropped. Of course, I immediately recognized Mark—you don’t forget someone like that,” he explained. 

Fortunately, the hilarious misunderstanding never affected his place on the team. Years later, Nowitzki went on to win a championship with the Mavericks and now has a business too.