2007 MVP Race: Dirk Nowitzki Won MVP Over 9 Superstar Players Including Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, And Tim Duncan

4 Min Read

Dirk Nowitzki had a special MVP season in 2007, as he led the Dallas Mavericks to the best record in the NBA with a 67-15 record. Nowitzki was an unstoppable force, averaging 24.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG, and 3.4 APG while playing 78 games in the regular season. Nowitzki had help in the forms of Josh Howard (first-time All-Star) and Jason Terry, but it was the German who carried the team all season long.

In fact, Nowitzki’s impact was so great that he beat out 9 superstar players and 8 Hall of Famers to win the Award. In 2007, here are the stats of the 9 superstars Dirk Nowitzki beat out for the MVP Award.

Kobe Bryant: 31.6 PPG, 5.7 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Tim Duncan: 20.0 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 3.4 APG, 0.8 SPG, 2.4 BPG

LeBron James: 27.3 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.6 SPG, 0.7 BPG

Tracy McGrady: 24.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 6.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 0.5 BPG

Kevin Garnett: 22.4 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 4.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.7 BPG

Steve Nash: 18.6 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 11.6 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.1 BPG

Gilbert Arenas: 28.4 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 6.0 APG, 1.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG

Dwyane Wade: 27.4 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2.1 SPG, 1.2 BPG

Carmelo Anthony: 28.9 PPG, 6.0 RPG, 3.8 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG

Clearly, either one of these superstars deserved an MVP Award. Kobe Bryant averaged 31.6 PPG, but the Lakers were barely .500 with a 42-40 record. Tim Duncan was solid, but he didn’t have Nowitzki’s numbers.

LeBron James was among the top-3 players in the world and even made the NBA Finals with the Cavaliers, but Dallas was much more consistent in the regular season. McGrady, Garnett, and Arenas did not have the team success that Nowitzki had with the Mavericks.

Even double-double machine Steve Nash didn’t have Nowitzki’s efficiency from the floor, while Wade and Anthony were mainly dominant scorers in 2007. There was always an argument against these top-9 players, but one simply couldn’t be made about Dirk Nowitzki.

In a nutshell, the German was near perfection. He joined the 50-40-90 club that year, and he broke through to become MVP after 5 straight seasons as an All-Star. He even played 78 total games at 36.2 minutes per night. It was evident before the All-Star break that the Mavericks were the favorites for the NBA championship, and even if they suffered a shocking defeat to the 8th seed Warriors, Nowitzki was the undisputed MVP in 2007.

Next

10 Greatest Superteams In NBA History: LeBron’s Heat, Warriors 5, Nets Superteam

Ranking The Top 10 Greatest NBA Defenders Of All Time

NBA Rumors: 5 Free Agents That Could Join LeBron James And The Los Angeles Lakers This Summer

Ranking The 10 Best Players In 5 Years: Giannis Antetokounmpo Will Be The Face Of The NBA, Zion Williamson And Anthony Davis Are Right Behind Him

Full Player Comparison: Sophomore LeBron James vs. Sophomore Zion Williamson

Newsletter

Stay up to date with our newsletter on the latest news, trends, ranking lists, and evergreen articles

Follow on Google News

Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We appreciate your support.

Share This Article
Eddie Bitar is a senior staff writer for Fadeaway World from Denver, Colorado. Since joining the team in 2017, Eddie has applied his academic background in economics and finance to enhance his sports journalism. Graduating with a Bachelor's degree from and later a Master's degree in Finance, he integrates statistical analysis into his articles. This unique approach provides readers with a deeper understanding of basketball through the lens of financial and economic concepts. Eddie's work has not only been a staple at Fadeaway World but has also been featured in prominent publications such as Sports Illustrated. His ability to break down complex data and present it in an accessible way creates an engaging and informative way to visualize both individual and team statistics. From finding the top 3 point shooters of every NBA franchise to ranking players by cost per point, Eddie is constantly finding new angles to use historical data that other NBA analysts may be overlooking.
Leave a Comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *