Thanking Dirk
- May 17, 2019
- 4 min read
Dirk Nowitzki in his prime - probably one of the most unstoppable scorers of the era and everybody that even remotely follows basketball knows what the Dirk shot is. Post-up, one dribble back-down, turn, fall from one leg and straight money through the net. If you’re a fan of basketball, it is truly beautiful to watch. So, let’s look back at what the German forward achieved in his 21-year, one team career.
Drafted in 1998, Dirk was selected at pick nine by the Milwaukee Bucks, but before he had a chance to play for them, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks which would become his home for the next 21 years. The Mavs took a risk trading for Dirk, a big 7-footer from Germany who not really anyone knew a lot about. Turns out, they couldn’t have made a better decision.
Nowitzki didn’t play a whole lot his first season, only taking the court in 47 games and playing 20 minutes when he did. He averaged a quiet 8 points and 3 three rebounds.
Then the jump happened, and Dirk solidified himself in the league as a very good player. In his second season Dirk averaged 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds on 46% from the field.
Dirk would continue to improve, the next season reached 21.8 points and 9.2 rebounds. Dirk would then average over 20 points for the next 12 seasons, peaking in 2005-2006 where he averaged 26.6 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block and 1 steal. He did so while shooting 48% from the field, 40% from behind the three-point line and 90% from the free throw line, very nearly in elite company of the 50-40-90 club. (shooting 50% from the floor, 40% from three-point range and 90% on free throws)
In the 2005-06 season, Dirk took the Dallas Mavericks to the NBA Finals before losing 4-2 to the Dwyane Wade and Shaq on the Miami Heat. Dirk’s playoff run was brilliant, lifting to 27 points, 11.7 rebounds, despite shooting a slightly lower percentage.
The next year he would become part of the 50-40-90 becoming only one of eight to ever do it. Dirk averaged 24.6 on 50% from the field and 41.6% from three while maintaining 90% from the free throw line, along with 9 rebounds and 3.5 assists on his way to league MVP.
Dirk would continue to lead the Mavericks to the playoffs each year, however, they were consistently knocked out of the first round. That is until the 2010-11 season.
The Mavericks finished the season 57-25 and went on a tear through the Western Conference playoffs. In the first round they beat Portland 4-2, the second round they took out Kobe Bryant and the Lakers in a 4-0 sweep and finally removing the Oklahoma City Thunder who had Westbrook and Durant in a 4-1 series.
Finally, Dirk would match up once again against the Miami Heat in the NBA finals. Only this time, almost everybody expected Miami to take out the series after putting together the super-team of LeBron, Wade and Chris Bosh.
But at age 32, Dirk stepped up, averaging 26 points, almost 10 rebounds a game shooting 41% from the field, 36% from three and 97% from the line, while playing 40 minutes per game. Dirk would take his revenge on the Heat, winning the NBA finals 4-2 and leading the Dallas Mavericks to their first ever NBA championship.
Dirk took the Mavs to the playoffs for 4 more years but wouldn’t make past the first round again.
Dirk set some big career highs, in 2004-2005 he recorded 53 points in a win against the Rockets where he duelled with Tracy McGrady all game who dropped 48. In the same year he recorded 7 blocks in one game, in 2003-2004 he recorded 9 steals in a game, 12 assists in 2007-2008 and 23 rebounds in 2001-2002.
But perhaps the biggest thing Nowitzki did for the game was make it internationally appealing. Maybe the biggest international phenom in the NBA, Dirk opened up the game to the world and gave people outside the United States a consistently good reason to watch.
Not only did Dirk expand the league to people all over the world, he al
so created a new type of player, a deadeye big man and I believe he played a huge part in the transition to the three-point dominant game we see today. Nowitzki influenced big men everywhere to develop a jump shot because they saw how unstoppable it was if it was perfected – like Dirk’s was.
Nowitzki will be a Hall-of-Famer and there’s not much anybody could say to argue against it.
A 14x All-Star, 12x NBA teams, 2006-2007 MVP, 2011 NBA Champion and Finals MVP, one of eight to make the 50-40-90 club, over 30,000 career points, more than 10,000 rebounds, 15 NBA playoff appearances - Truly one of the all-time greats.
Thank You, Dirk.
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