- Dirk Nowitzki stated that he loved to score the basketball
- The former MVP admitted that he wasn’t particularly good at defense or rebounding
- Nowitzki was a prolific scorer, especially in the playoffs
Big man Dirk Nowitzki is now officially a Hall of Fame player after his induction, and there’s no doubt that this is a well-deserved honor. Nowitzki is one of the best shooting big men of all time, if not the outright best. He is also considered the best player in Dallas Mavericks history.
Dirk Nowitzki’s shooting ability has clearly helped him become a fantastic scorer, with the former MVP showing that he could win a championship as the No. 1 option in 2011. In fact, recently, Dirk Nowitzki claimed that scoring is the best part of his game, noting that he wasn’t great at rebounding or defending.
“I wasn’t a great rebounder, defender, none of that. I was a scorer at heart, and I always wanted to score for my team and get us going, and that was the best part of my game.”
I asked Dirk Nowitzki at his Hall of Fame press conference in Connecticut for his view on how his game may be viewed when observers reflect on his impact 20, 40+ years from now.
"Probably just the ability to shoot at the seven-foot frame. That was really my strength, of course,… pic.twitter.com/IntScvtvt3
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) August 11, 2023
Though scoring isn’t the only part of basketball, many do consider it the most important. At the end of the day, one wins by scoring more points than the opposing team, and that is why versatile scorers like Dirk Nowitzki are critical to a team’s ability to win a championship.
From 2002 to 2012 in the playoffs, Dirk Nowitzki was an insane offensive player, averaging 26.2 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists while shooting 39.4% from 3PT range. Though he only managed to win one championship, it is clear that Dirk Nowitzki has cemented himself as a legend.
Tony Parker Believes That Dirk Nowitzki Is The GOAT Of European Basketball
Though Dirk Nowitzki is universally respected by most NBA fans/players, he is particularly revered by European players. He broke the stereotype of the “soft” European player by winning a championship in 2011 and was the 2007 MVP as well. In fact, Tony Parker once called Dirk Nowitzki the GOAT of European basketball.
There is no doubt that Dirk Nowitzki paved the way for other international players to become franchise players. In recent memory, we saw players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic become franchise superstars and lead their teams to championship success. None of that would have been possible without Dirk Nowitzki’s contributions to the game, and it is clear that he contributed a lot to the culture of the game beyond his play on the court.
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