Nowitzki would also be named an All-NBA Selection 12 times, with his greatest individual award coming in the 2006/07 Season where he was named the Most Valuable Player, becoming the first player to do so. More importantly, for fans of the Mavericks, he would lead his team to their first NBA Championship in 2011, defeating the highly favored Miami Heat.
At the time of his retirement, he was sixth all-time in Points, seventh in Defensive Rebounds, and his 21 years with the Mavs make him the only player ever to play that many years for only one team. Nowitzki is the most celebrated European basketball player of all-time and the biggest reason why every NBA franchise scouts Europe so fervently.1. Dirk Nowitzki
There were a lot of people shaking their heads when the Dallas Mavericks engineered a draft day trade that would see them get Dirk Nowitzki, who was chosen ninth overall and as a rookie, the German struggled to make the jump from the Second Tier of the Bundesliga to the NBA in his rookie season, but in his second campaign he was the runner-up for the Most Improved Player of the Year and in his third season he would begin a 12-year streak of 20 Points per Game and would have another one the year after the run ended.
The Bullet Points
- Country of Origin: Wurzburg, Germany
- Eligible Since: Sunday, 01 January 2023
- Position: Center, Power Forward
- Drafted: 1st Round, 9th Overall in 1998
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Major Accolades and Awards:
MVP (2007)
The Sporting News MVP (2007)
NBA Finals MVP (2011)
All-NBA First Team (2005, 2006, 2007 & 2009)
All-NBA Second Team (2002, 2003, 2008, 2010 & 2011)
All-NBA Third Team (2001, 2004 & 2012)
NBA All-Star (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2014, 2015 & 2019)
Teammate of the Year (2017)
Most 2-Point Field Goal Attempts (2010)
Highest PER (2006)
Most Win Shares (2006 & 2007)
Most Offensive Win Shares (2006 & 2007)
Highest Box Plus/Minus (2007)
Highest Offensive Box Plus/Minus (2006 & 2007)
NBA Champion (Dallas Mavericks, 2011)
World Cup of Basketball Bronze Medal (Germany, 2002)
EuroBasket Silver Medal (Germany, 2005)
FIBA World Championship MVP (2002)
FIBA EuroBasket MVP (2005)
Euroscar Player of the Year (2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 & 2011) -
Other Points of Note: Top Ten Finishes: Points (11) (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2011-12)
Top Ten Finishes: Points per Game (10) (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 & 2011-12)
Top Ten Finishes: Rebounds (3) (2001-02, 2002-03 & 2004-05)
Top Ten Finishes: Rebounds per Game (3) (2001-02, 2002-03 & 2004-05)
Top Ten Finishes: Defensive Rebounds (9) (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2008-09)
Top Ten Finishes: Free Throw Percentage (12) (2002-03, 2003-04, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12, 2013-14, 2014-15 & 2015-16)
Top Ten Finishes: Effective Field Goal Percentage (1) (2000-01)
Top Ten Finishes: True Shooting Percentage (4) (2000-01, 2001-02, 2010-11 & 2013-14)
Top Ten Finishes: Field Goals (6) (2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
Top Ten Finishes: Field Goal Attempts (6) (2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
Top Ten Finishes: 2-Point Field Goals (5) (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
Top Ten Finishes: 2-Point Field Goals (5) (2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
Top Ten Finishes: 3-Point Field Goals (2) (2000-01 & 2002-03)
Top Ten Finishes: 3-Point Field Goals (1) (2000-01)
Top Ten Finishes: Free Throws (10) (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2011-12)
Top Ten Finishes: Free Throw Attempts (6) (2000-01, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2008-09 & 2009-10)
Top Ten Finishes: Minutes Played (2) (2008-09 & 2009-10)
Top Ten Finishes: Minutes per Game (1) (2004-05)
Top Ten Finishes: PER (11) (2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11 & 2013-14)
Top Ten Finishes: Win Shares (11) (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2010-11)
Top Ten Finishes: Offensive Win Shares (12) (2000-01, 2001-02, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2011-12 & 2013-14)
Top Ten Finishes: Defensive Win Shares (2) (2002-03 & 2004-05)
Top Ten Finishes: Box Plus/Minus (4) (2002-03, 2004-05, 2006-07 & 2007-08)
Top Ten Finishes: Offensive Box Plus/Minus (7) (2001-02, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2013-14)
Top Ten Finishes: VORP (9) (2000-01, 2000-01, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05, 2005-06, 2006-07, 2007-08 & 2009-10)
Top Ten FInishes: Usage Percentage (4) (2007-08, 2008-09, 2009-10 & 2011-12) -
Notable All-time Rankings: 3. Games Played: 1,522
4. Minutes Played: 51,368
6. Points: 31,560
7. Free Throws: 7,240
7. Offensive Win Shares: 143.8
8. Field Goal Attempts: 23,734
8. Defensive Rebounds: 10,021
8. Win Shares: 206.3
9. VORP: 84.8
9. Field Goals: 11,169
13. 3-Point Field Goals: 1,982
13. 3-Point Field Goal Attempts: 5,210
18. Free Throw Percentage: .879
18. Free Throw Attempts: 8,239
24. 2-Point Field Goals: 9,187
25. 2-Point Field Goal Attempts: 18,524
26. Offensive Box Plus/Minus: 4.2
27. Rebounds: 10,021
27. Defensive Win Shares: 62.6
33. PER: 22.4
50. Points per Game: 20.7
55. Blocks: 1,281
55. Usage Percentage: 26.5
66. Box Plus/Minus: 4.5
79. True Shooting Percentage:.577
97. Steals: 1,210
Should Dirk Nowitzki be in the Hall of Fame?
Definitely put him in! - 97%
Maybe, but others deserve it first. - 3%
Probably not, but it wouldn't be the end of the world. - 0%
No opinion. - 0%
No way! - 0%
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