Dallas Mavericks Top 10: #1-Dirk Nowitzki

In case you hadn’t guessed it already, Dirk Nowitzki is the greatest Dallas Mavericks player this century. Dirk’s 19 seasons with the Mavs have been spectacular and he will always be the face of this franchise.

When it comes to the Dallas Mavericks NBA franchise, no name will ever stick out quite like that of Dirk Nowitzki. And for good reason. Dirk is the best basketball player to ever put on a Mavericks jersey in every way possible.

Let’s start with the numbers. Dirk Nowitzki has been a scoring machine ever since he entered the league. As a rookie, Dirk was a bit slower learning the ways of the NBA, and as such averaged only 8.2 points and 3.4 rebounds per game for the season. Despite the low numbers, it was no mystery that this guy was special.

By the time his sophomore season came along, the 21 year old Dirk was averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game while starting in 81 of the 82 regular season games. And, as the saying goes, it was all uphill from there.

Nowitzki went on to average nearly 22 points per game for his career. He is still an active player for the Mavs and has played in 19 games so far this season. Counting those 19, Dirk has played in 1,359 total NBA games for the Dallas Mavericks. He has started in 1,328 of those.

That being said, let’s look at the records. Dirk Nowitzki is tied for 5th in NBA history in All-Star Game appearances with 13. He also has an NBA MVP award from 2007 and an NBA Finals MVP award from 2011. Nowitzki also has been named to the All-NBA First Team 4 times, Second Team, 5 times, and Third Team 3 times.

When it comes to total stats, Dirk is also high on the list with NBA greats. Currently, Dirk sits at 6th in the NBA All-Time scoring list with 29,738 points. He is only 262 points away from being the 6th player in NBA history to surpass 30,000 points and is 1,681 points away from entering the top 5 scorers in NBA history.

Dirk is also nearing on becoming only the 4th player in NBA history to score 30,000 points and pull down over 10,000 rebounds. He is currently at 10,651 total rebounds in his career. Nowitzki has also been , I won’t say a good defender, but effective with his hands on the defensive side of the ball. He has tallied over 1,100 steals and blocks each in his career.

When you talk about Dirk Nowitzki, however, you have to at least mention that he is one of the best clutch players the game has ever seen. It is hard to define clutch with statistics and numbers, and even harder to find any numbers to back up the statement, but if you have watched Dirk play before, you know the ball is going to end up in his hands when the game is on the line.

For that reason, I believe it is safe to say that Dirk is one of the most clutch players of all time. Although he only has one championship ring and was labeled as soft for a portion of his career, Nowitzki has proven time and time again that he belongs in the elite category of the NBA.

A future first-ballot Hall of Famer without any doubt, Nowitzki has proven himself in every area on the court.

Then, of course, there is the off-the-court stuff that truly makes Dirk a one-of-a-kind player. Dirk Nowitzki, aka Ghost-face Drillah, aka the German Wunderkind, has a sense of humor that is contagious. He does not allow it to effect his play on the court, but any time he is able to relax, Dirk is making someone laugh.

Dirk always seems to have a smile on his face when he is off the court. Although a lot of his time on the court is spent yelling at the refs or the opponents, Nowitzki is a lighthearted guy who is very well-liked across the league.

Always willing to meet with fans and sign autographs, Dirk has become so much more than a star or even a legend in Dallas. He represents the city and does so better than anyone could possibly imagine. The Big German is a hero in Dallas, and will be forever.

Next: Dallas Mavericks Top 10: #2-Steve Nash

If you would like to review The Smoking Cuban’s Top 10 Dallas Mavericks of the 21st century, follow the links here: #10, #9, #8, #7, #6, #5, #4, #3, and #2.