To get the measure of Dirk Nowitzki — the 7-foot, one-man revolution out of Germany — just look up.
With a patented, high-arcing jupmer from the left wing on Wednesday against Brooklyn, Nowitzki passed Shaquille O’Neal to move into 6th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Even more impressive than who he passed, though, is the elite list that stands ahead of him. Now, the 37-year-old Maverick only ranks behind these all-time NBA legends.
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
2. Karl Malone
3. Kobe Bryant
4. Michael Jordan
5. Wilt Chamberlain
Take a moment to think about that.
The guy who came into the league with a crew-cut, minimal English and a look of confusion and then spent 18 seasons, 13 All-Star appearances, 1 Finals MVP and thousands of one-legged jumpers changing the way the league – the world – saw international players now stands behind only players in the Greatest Ever conversation.
He likely won’t move higher than sixth (Wilt’s 2,823 points ahead of Shaq) unless, of course, he can maintain his current pace for about two more full seasons. But if a man’s defined by the company he keeps, as they say, Nowitzki belongs not just among the NBA’s greatest international players, scorers and champions.
He belongs among the NBA’s all-time greats. Period.
