Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki is the best athlete to ever wear No. 41

When you think of certain jersey numbers, you can call out at least two or three athletes who wore it. As for the No. 41, Dirk Nowitzki in a Dallas Mavericks jersey is the only image there is for most.

After a ton of fireworks during NBA free agency, fans will be adjusting to new faces in unfamiliar area codes. We’ll also see a few players don different jersey numbers–Kevin Durant with No. 7 and Anthony Davis with No. 3– for the first time next season.

Both of those numbers, while new to the players, are engraved in the minds of sports fans and forever associated with other athletes. The Dallas Mavericks were privileged to be the only home for the athlete that is undoubtedly the gatekeeper of the No. 41–Dirk Nowitzki.

These days, a 7-footer shooting threes is nothing to write home about. However, in the early stages of his career, Dirk was seen more as an anomaly. Unlike some athletes that are synonymous with their respective jersey numbers, Nowitzki did not begin his career labeled as the next best thing or a prodigy of any sort. Instead, he perfected the skills that made him unique and carved out a career worthy of legend status.

Career Accomplishments

Over the course of his career, the tall baller from the G amassed 31,560 points (No. 6 all-time), 13 All-Star selections and 12 All-NBA selections.

The 2006-07 season turned out to be Dirk’s breakout year. Nowitzki joined the 50-40-90 club with percentages of 50.2 from the field (career-best), 41.6 on three-pointers and 90.4 at the free-throw line, all while averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists. His performance that season led the Mavericks to a franchise-best 67 wins. For his efforts, Nowitzki took home the Most Valuable Player award that year.

All those numbers and accolades, though impressive, fail in comparison to what Dirk pulled off during the 2011 NBA playoffs. In one of the most relentless and surgical playoff runs the league has ever seen, Nowitzki led the Mavericks past a talented Portland Trailblazers team, defending-champion Los Angeles Lakers (in a 4-game sweep), and a stacked Oklahoma City Thunder squad.

In the Finals, he put up 26 points and 9.7 rebounds per game to dismantle the newly-assembled Miami Heat, led by its “Big 3” (LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh), leading the Dallas Mavericks to its first championship.

The number 41 may not be the most popular in terms of jerseys, but Dirk stands alone whenever it is mentioned. He will forever be the greatest athlete to ever wear it.