Scottie Pippen Stirs Up Controversy With His Dirk Nowitzki Playoff Inquiry

Dirk Nowitzki’s 2011 title run is etched in NBA lore as one of the greatest postseason performances of all time. The German legend led the Dallas Mavericks to their first and only championship by taking down a gauntlet of stacked rosters and future Hall of Famers. Nowitzki’s championship run often sparks an interesting debate.

Who had the greatest playoff run of all time? Several contenders come to mind: Michael Jordan’s ’93 run, Dwyane Wade’s ’06, LeBron James’ 2016, and more. To pick one among these would be a tough task for any hoop fan.

However, it’s a fairly easy decision for Scottie Pippen, who was, interestingly, a part of the ’93 campaign. The Bulls legend recently took to X with his take on the subject and stirred the pot for another passionate debate among basketball fans on the platform.

Pippen wrote, “TRUE or FALSE: Dirk had the greatest individual playoff run of all time.” It’s a fair ask considering the kind of teams Nowitzki had to beat to become the NBA Champion in 2011. He faced the Portland Trail Blazers in the first round and defeated them 4-2. He then took on the late, great Kobe Bryant’s Lakers in the Conference Semifinals and swept them. The Lakers were on the brink of another three-peat at the time.

Nowitzki played the Thunder in the Conference Finals and cruised past them in five games. But his toughest competition was waiting for him in the Finals. The Miami Heat had stacked one of the strongest teams in the league’s history with the likes of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, and more.

However, they weren’t a match for the Mavs legend as his team defeated them in six games. So, it’s not a stretch to say that Nowitzki had the best postseason run of all time. Some fans, in response to Pippen’s post, agreed with him. One fan wrote, “Swept the Champion Lakers, Beat OKC with KD and Russ, and then beat the Big 3 Miami Heat. Not a debate.”

On the other hand, some debated his claim. One fan stated that Hakeem Olajuwon had the toughest postseason run in 1995 when he defeated four 50-win teams. The fan wrote, “I’d give it to Hakeem.  Beat Malone and Stockton, Barkley in Phoenix, Robinson in San Antonio, and Shaq and Penny in finals.”

Even certain NBA players agree with the notion that Dirk has the most challenging and rewarding run to the promiseland. “It’s not a debate,” said Brendan Haywood on the Run Your Race podcast.

It’s unquestionable that Nowitzki’s ’11 run is firmly placed in the annals of NBA history as a top five run at the very least of all time. The fact that he beat out several players who are unanimously seen as top 12-15 players of all time in a single postseason is diabolical levels of brilliance.