LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki are among two of the most unlikely rivals in the NBA. However, the one year they battled in the NBA Finals became a defining series for both men. Nowitzki completed a long and arduous journey to become an NBA champion, while LeBron realized a superteam wasn’t enough until he changed his approach to the game.
Dirk and LeBron weren’t good friends but evidently have had incredible respect for each other. Nowitzki admitted that LeBron might be the greatest of all time if he crossed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in scoring. Meanwhile, LeBron also hailed Dirk as a GOAT, but for international players after seeing Nowitzki get a statue outside the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
"He's a legend, he's an icon… that boy was cold."
LeBron on Dirk's statue and legacy 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/81QoTVfxTA
— NBA (@NBA) December 26, 2022
“Dirk was a legend, an icon. He is the greatest international player of all time, I put him right there with Manu. What he brought here, to this city (Dallas), that boy was cold man. Dirk was cold, man. He revolutionized what a stretch 4 big can look like. He could put the ball on the ground, finish above the rim in his early years, and then master that in-between game, then he started taking it to the 3-point line. You couldn’t put someone small on him because he was too big and you couldn’t put a slow-footed big man on him because he was too quick. You could also never block his shot because he shot it behind his head, kinda Larry Bird-esque. When you talk about Dirk as an all-time power forward, he’s right up there with Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett, Kevin McHale, and all those guys.”
There are many international players that have achieved a lot in the NBA. Hakeem Olajuwon is probably the most notable, with Giannis Antetokounmpo dominating now. Manu Ginobili and Dirk would probably make up the Mount Rushmore of international legends in the NBA.
Dirk Nowitzki Gets Honored By The Mavericks
After retiring his jersey earlier this year in a moving and emotional ceremony, the Mavericks decide to permanently enshrine Nowitzki’s place as the greatest Maverick of all time by giving him an incredible statue. They have a player that could unseat Dirk as the greatest Mav ever, but there’s a long time to see what Luka Doncic ends up achieving for this franchise.
Nowitzki is expected to be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame this year as a first-ballot inductee. This is fully deserved for a legend of the game who is currently working in the Mavs front office. Hopefully, he can work in a different role to bring another title to Dallas with Luka as their star player.
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