30 Greatest Dallas Mavericks players in franchise history

1. Dirk Nowitzki

Nowitzki is the unquestioned Mavericks' GOAT. Luka Doncic is the young lion hoping to dethrone him, but it is a lofty standard to reach. The Tall Baller from the G played his entire 21-year NBA career in Dallas, and he holds nearly every franchise record imaginable.

Nowitzki is an all-time great. The seven-footer from Wurzburg is sixth in NBA history in scoring, 26th in rebounds, and 16th in 3-pointers made. Dirk stayed with the same team for his entire career, and his loyalty was rewarded with a championship in 2011. He was in the hunt for so long that it was incredible to watch him finally lift his team over the mountain, and bring the Mavericks their only championship in franchise history.

Dirk Nowitzki has his number retired by the Mavs, a statue outside the American Airlines Center, and the street outside the arena named after him as the seven-footer has adopted Dallas as his home. The Hall of Famer also has his number retired by the German National Team, and he revolutionized the game. Dirty proved that a power forward could shoot threes and stretch the floor while being the team’s best player.

Can Luka overtake Dirk as the team’s best player? The 24-year-old has a long way to go, but the start has been impressive. Fans know that nobody is rooting for Doncic’s success more than Nowitzki.