Victors are determined decisively on the court, but one great joy of fandom outside the lines has no clear winner. We love to weigh the merits of our favorite players against each other, and yet a taproom full of basketball fans can never unanimously agree on the GOAT. From , he averaged Nowitzki entered his prime in Year Three and remained in that stratosphere for 12 seasons, leading the Mavericks to the playoffs each year. He was the best player on his team every year, finishing top in MVP voting nine times in that stretch and winning the award in the season he placed 11th and 12th the other two years.
Basketball-On this day: Born June 19, 1978: Dirk...
Dirk Nowitzki on jersey exchange with Dwyane Wade: “I felt a little naked out there.”
By Reuters. The towering power forward joined the NBA in from the wilderness of German basketball, where he played for local club Wurzburg in his hometown before he was selected as a first-round draft pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. He was traded to the Mavs straight away and spent his entire year career with them before he retired last year with 14 NBA All-Star appearances to his name. Few people could have imagined Nowitzki would rise to such giddy heights while he was still a teenager playing in Europe. He has the kind of potential that leaves you curious.