Dirk Nowitzki is forever immortalized in the city of Dallas. His statue unveiling cemented his status as Dallas’ best-ever athlete. It also stirred up some discourse and debate. There were plenty of topics to touch and we have covered a few, however, none stands out as much as this one.
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Dirk has gone out of his way to take his pick in the GOAT debate and for him, the difference between Michael Jordan and LeBron James is becoming smaller by the minute.
And he has even set forth one condition that, in his books, would help LeBron eclipse, Michael. And it is the statistic of this 2022-23 season, the all-time scoring record.
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Dirk Nowitzki is picking LeBron James over Michael Jordan on one condition
Dirk is clear, LeBron’s longevity is baffling him, the same guy who played 21 seasons with a single team. He himself was an athlete like no other. But his productivity is not on par with what LeBron is doing in year 20. The King is shattering all records and Dirk is in awe.
Nowitzki has always claimed that Jordan is the GOAT. But, if and only if LeBron passes Kareem, the tide of the argument might turn.
Dirk Nowitzki is close to calling LeBron James the greatest ever: “Tremendous that he can still play like this in his Year 20. … I always say that Michael Jordan is the GOAT — if (LeBron) really passes Kareem in the scoring record, I’m running out of arguments for Michael…” pic.twitter.com/X14Ko62Ds3
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) December 26, 2022
And the condition is not really an if. The Lakers superstar just last night recorded a mammoth 38 points and is inching closer to Kareem’s record.
He is 630 points behind and is projected to overtake on the 11th of February. You can check out the tracker here.
A statement made virtuously or because of bragging rights?
Now, we don’t know the real reason behind Nowitzki’s statement. It could be that he is humble in the presence of James. The guy who he beat so ruthlessly in the 2011 NBA that James had to change his complete character in order to win the next year.
The virtuosity behind the answer seems truthful enough, however, it could also be a way to say, “oh he may be the greatest, but I beat him”.
Knowing basketball players and the constant chatter they have to undergo, this might not be very far from the truth. What do you make of this?
