%20%20--%3E%0A%3Csvg%20version%3D%221.1%22%20xmlns%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F2000%2Fsvg%22%20xmlns%3Axlink%3D%22http%3A%2F%2Fwww.w3.org%2F1999%2Fxlink%22%20x%3D%220px%22%20y%3D%220px%22%0A%09%20viewBox%3D%220%200%201596.5%20200%22%20style%3D%22enable-background%3Anew%200%200%201596.5%20200%3B%22%20xml%3Aspace%3D%22preserve%22%3E%0A%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text%2Fcss%22%3E%0A%09.st0%7Bfill%3A%231262AE%3B%7D%0A%09.st1%7Bfill%3A%23FFFFFF%3B%7D%0A%09.st2%7Bfill%3A%23CCCCCB%3B%7D%0A%09.st3%7Bfill%3A%231C2655%3B%7D%0A%3C%2Fstyle%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Template%22%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3Cg%20id%3D%22Layer_2%22%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%220%2C29%2034.8%2C29%2034.8%2C200%2064.4%2C200%2064.4%2C29%2099.8%2C29%2099.8%2C0%200%2C0%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%22171.6%2C74.6%20142%2C89.7%20142%2C0%20112.4%2C0%20112.4%2C200%20142%2C200%20142%2C122.6%20171.6%2C107.5%20171.6%2C200%20201.2%2C200%20%0A%09%09201.2%2C0%20171.6%2C0%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M562.9%2C0h-29.6c-4.5%2C0-7.5%2C1.4-9.3%2C4.3l-5.2%2C11.4c-1.7-6.5-3.4-10.4-4.9-12C511.4%2C1.2%2C508%2C0%2C503.7%2C0h-29.6%0A%09%09c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v171h29.6V29h29.6V200h29.6V29h29.6V200h29.6V29c0-9.9-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.9%0A%09%09C583.8%2C2.4%2C575.7%2C0%2C562.9%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M664.3%2C0h-29.6c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v142c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h29.6c13.7%2C0%2C22.1-2.2%2C25.1-6.7c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3V29c0-9.9-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.9C685.2%2C2.4%2C677.1%2C0%2C664.3%2C0z%0A%09%09%20M664.3%2C170.9h-29.6V29h29.6V170.9z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%22802.3%2C0%20770%2C0.1%20736.1%2C80.2%20736.1%2C0%20706.5%2C0%20706.5%2C200%20736.1%2C200%20736.1%2C155.3%20750%2C123.1%20779.5%2C200%20%0A%09%09811.3%2C200%20766.3%2C84.2%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Crect%20x%3D%22817.6%22%20y%3D%220%22%20class%3D%22st1%22%20width%3D%2229.6%22%20height%3D%22200%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M919.2%2C0h-9c-6.4%2C0-10.9%2C1.3-13.6%2C4l-3.8%2C3.1l-3.5%2C5.7V0h-29.6v200h29.6V28.7h29.9V200h29.6V29%0A%09%09c0-8.1-2.8-15-8.4-20.6C934.8%2C2.8%2C927.7%2C0%2C919.2%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M1021.4%2C0h-29.6c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v142c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h59.5L1051%2C72.8l-44.1%2C22.6v32.8l14.8-7.5v50.2h-29.9V29h29.9v44.2l29.6-15.2V28.9c0-9.8-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.8%0A%09%09C1042.6%2C2.4%2C1034.4%2C0%2C1021.4%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1161.1%2C0h-29.9c-13.2%2C0-21.5%2C2.2-25%2C6.7c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v142c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h29.9c13.5%2C0%2C21.8-2.4%2C24.8-7.1c3-4.7%2C4.5-12%2C4.5-21.9v-48.5l-29.6%2C15.1l0.3%2C33.4h-29.9V29h29.6v38l29.6-15.4V29%0A%09%09c0-9.9-1.7-17.2-5.2-21.9C1181.7%2C2.4%2C1173.7%2C0%2C1161.1%2C0z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1262.2%2C170.9h-29.6V0H1203v171c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.4%2C4.6%2C22c4.6%2C4.6%2C13%2C7%2C25%2C7h29.6c13.7%2C0%2C22.1-2.2%2C25.1-6.7%0A%09%09c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3V0h-29.6V170.9z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1363.9%2C0h-59.5v200h59.5c13.7%2C0%2C22.1-2.2%2C25.1-6.7c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3v-65c0-4.1-1.6-7.6-4.8-10.6%0A%09%09c-3.2-3-6.7-4.5-10.6-4.5c5.4-2.9%2C9.3-5.8%2C11.8-8.8c2.4-3%2C3.6-9%2C3.6-18.1v-35c0-9.8-1.7-17.1-5.2-21.8%0A%09%09C1384.8%2C2.4%2C1376.7%2C0%2C1363.9%2C0z%20M1363.9%2C170.9H1334v-48.5l29.9-15.1V170.9z%20M1363.9%2C74.6L1334%2C89.6V29h29.9L1363.9%2C74.6z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1588.1%2C8.4c-5.6-5.6-12.7-8.4-21.2-8.4h-9c-6.4%2C0-10.9%2C1.3-13.6%2C4l-3.8%2C3.1l-3.5%2C5.7V0h-29.6v200h29.6V28.7%0A%09%09h29.9V200h29.6V29C1596.5%2C20.9%2C1593.7%2C14%2C1588.1%2C8.4z%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st1%22%20d%3D%22M431.9%2C41.4l0-12.7c0-9.8-1.8-17-5.3-21.7C423.2%2C2.4%2C415%2C0%2C402.1%2C0h-29.7c-13.1%2C0-21.4%2C2.2-24.8%2C6.7%0A%09%09c-3.1%2C4.4-4.6%2C11.9-4.6%2C22.3v63.4l59.4%2C30.4l-0.2%2C48.2h-29.6v-32.3l-29.7%2C14.9l0.1%2C17.2c0%2C9.1%2C1.5%2C16.5%2C4.6%2C22.2%0A%09%09c4.6%2C4.7%2C12.9%2C7%2C24.8%2C7h29.7c13.9%2C0%2C22.3-2.2%2C25.3-6.7c3-4.4%2C4.5-11.9%2C4.5-22.3l-0.2-66.2l-59.3-30V29h29.9l-0.1%2C27.9L431.9%2C41.4z%22%0A%09%09%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpolygon%20class%3D%22st1%22%20points%3D%22213.8%2C200%20292.4%2C200%20292.4%2C170.9%20243.4%2C170.9%20243.4%2C122.6%20243.4%2C100%20277.6%2C100%20277.6%2C71%20243.4%2C71%20%0A%09%09243.4%2C29%20292.4%2C29%20292.4%2C0%20213.8%2C0%20%09%22%2F%3E%0A%09%3Cpath%20class%3D%22st2%22%20d%3D%22M1465.3%2C0h-29.6c-7.9%2C0-14.9%2C2.9-20.8%2C8.6c-5.9%2C5.7-8.9%2C12.5-8.9%2C20.4v171h29.6v-46.3h29.6V200h29.6V29%0A%09%09c0-8.1-2.8-15-8.4-20.6C1480.8%2C2.8%2C1473.8%2C0%2C1465.3%2C0z%20M1435.7%2C124.6v-2.2V89.6V29h29.6v78.4v17.3H1435.7z%22%2F%3E%0A%3C%2Fg%3E%0A%3C%2Fsvg%3E%0A)
Dallas Mavericks GOAT Dirk Nowitzki was 19th in ESPN’s ranking of the best NBA players. Jason Kidd and Steve Nash join him on the list released May 12.
The Dallas Mavericks have been well represented on ESPN’s list of the 74 best players in NBA history. It was done by votes from their experts. Players 74 to 41 dropped on May 11. Three former Mavericks made that portion of the list.
It left plenty of questions. Could Dirk Nowitzki crack the top 15? Where would Steve Nash and Jason Kidd land in the ranks? Would another Maverick crack the list?
On Tuesday, ESPN released 40 to 11. Three former Mavs made this part of the rankings too. Let us take a look at it.
35. Jason Kidd
The Hall of Fame point guard was drafted second overall by the Dallas Mavericks in 1994. He made his first All-Star team in his second year with Dallas. The Mavs traded him to Phoenix in Dec. 1996 for Michael Finley, Sam Cassell, and A.C. Green.
Kidd would be traded back to Dallas in 2008. The 34-year-old made his final All-Star team with the Mavericks. He was also the starting point guard for their 2011 championship run.
30. Steve Nash
Nash was drafted by the Suns but traded to Dallas after his second NBA season. He made his first two All-Star games with the Mavericks. Nash played six seasons in Dallas before becoming an MVP after heading back to Phoenix.
Nash was the starting point guard when the Mavs broke a decade long playoff drought in 2001. He led them back four straight seasons before leaving in free agency in 2004.
19. Dirk Nowitzki
The Mavericks GOAT landed just inside the top 20. Fans know all about Dirk. The MVP and 14-time All-Star should have been a bit higher on the list. It is hardly a slight to be called a top 20 player in NBA history, though.
It will be interesting to see these rankings in ten years. Will Luka Doncic be able to crack the list? The 21-year-old is on pace to be an all-time great. Dallas Mavericks supporters should be excited to watch it unfold.