Dirk Nowitzki will soon be suiting up for his 18th NBA season, so it makes sense that people want to talk about his legacy.
Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says that while the Dallas star is great, he's no Larry Bird.
“No way. No way that Dirk Nowitzki is better than Larry, and Dirk is a first-rate—he’s an All-Star," Abdul-Jabbar told KRLD-FM in Dallas on Tuesday.
"Absolutely any time he’s been on the All-Star team, he’s deserved it. But Larry, I think, had more going in terms of leadership."
Nowitzki has been compared to Bird throughout his career, mostly due to his ability to shoot as a big man. Abdul-Jabbar said that while the 7-0 Nowitzki is a great shooter, the 6-9 Bird had a more complete game.
"If you take the 48 minutes of the game, for every second on that clock, Larry knew where to be on the court to be the most effective for his team. And Dirk doesn’t play the game that way," he said.
"He’s a volume shooter. He’s a streak shooter and he’s wonderful at that—and he’s had a great career; I’m not trying to knock him, but Larry is one of a kind.”
That may be true, but the 2006-07 league MVP's career shooting percentages (47.5 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent from the 3-point line and 87.9 percent from the free-throw line) are comparable to Bird, a three-time MVP and three-time NBA champ (49.6 percent from the floor, 37.6 percent from the 3-point line and 88.6 percent from the free-throw line).
Nowitzki averaged 17.3 points per game for the Mavs last season. And the way new teammate Deron Williams tells it, the 37-year-old still has a lot left in the tank.
"I mean, Dirk could play until he’s 50, man, the way he shoots the ball,” Williams told Mavs.com.
“He’s always going to be able to shoot the ball, and he does so much more. I’ve always had a lot of respect for his game and what he does and brings to the court, and so I’m definitely excited as a point guard to be able to play with someone of his caliber."