Dirk Nowitzki’s greatest moment on an NBA court came in the 2011 NBA Finals when he and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Miami Heat and LeBron James to win the franchise’s only championship in league history. Nowitzki spent 21 seasons with the Mavericks, and that championship stands out as one of the greatest ever, given the opponents that the Mavericks beat, especially the superteam they beat in the Finals.
James and Nowitzki had a cold relationship during their careers, especially after James and Dwyane Wade mocked Nowitzki’s health issues during the 2011 Finals before blowing a 2-1 series lead in embarrassing fashion. However, the players have all moved on from that tense Finals series, with the pair sharing mutual respect for each other as their careers entered different phases.
Nowitzki was in attendance to watch LeBron break Robert Parish’s record for most games played in NBA history (1,611). He spoke to the NBA’s social media team and sent a heartfelt message to James after the Lakers’ star played his 1,612th career NBA game.
“LeBron’s been incredible. His longevity, how he takes care of his body, he plays every game. He’s arguably the GOAT. That he plays at this level at this age is incredible. Super happy for him and it’s fun to watch.”
James faced Nowitzki 28 times in his career in the regular season, holding a 16-10 record in 26 appearances while averaging 7.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists. Nowitzki averaged 20.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 3.2 assists over the matchups.
They only faced each other in the NBA Playoffs once, the 2011 Finals matchup, which many consider the biggest stain on LeBron’s GOAT career. James averaged a stunning 17.8 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 6.8 assists in that series, while Nowitzki finally broke years of narratives around him being a choker by averaging 26.0 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists to finally become an NBA Champion.
Nowitzki is also considered one of the few longevity legends in the NBA because he played for 21 seasons. However, Nowitzki could barely run up the court by the time his career ended in 2019 with 1,522 career appearances (5th all-time). James is not only still putting opponents on posters with his thunderous dunks, but he’s averaging 21.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.8 assists as a 41-year-old.
James is already the league’s all-time leading scorer, has played the most seasons in league history, and now leads the league in appearances. He’s led the NBA in total appearances and points scored in the Playoffs for years already, so it’s official that no player in league history has the miles on his body that LeBron does.
The fact that he’s played for so long is something stars like Nowitzki will always respect and appreciate, given how hard they had to work to keep their careers alive for as long as they did.
James will likely play another season, pushing all his all-time records even further to heights that nobody might be able to reach. LeBron isn’t the superstar player he once was, for sure, being openly told by his head coach that he needs to embrace being the Lakers’ third option going forward.
It doesn’t look like that has been a problem for LeBron James at all, putting up 12 points (5-13 FG), six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in his record-breaking win over the Magic with Nowitzki in attendance.
He still has a Playoff run to also get through, so James will likely take the time to reflect on another record-breaking season after it’s officially in the rearview and he has to choose between retirement or finally embarking on the farewell final season of his legendary NBA career.
