How One Playoff Run Changed An Entire Legacy

Dirk Nowitzki, now recognized as an all-time great, spent a large portion of his career as the one who couldn't finish the job-a soft, playoff choker turned playoff hero in the span of one season.

[@taraishot100]

Dude has the most respected ring of all time in the NBA I don’t care what anyone says

[@chriswilliams1024]

Dirk Nowitzki well deserve title run in 2011

[@ADUSN]

Facts. Goated title run along with the 2011 Giants

[@weekendwarrior1909]

Definitely! 94 rockets didn't face the bulls. 95 rockets acquired another star in clyde Drexler. 04 Pistons acquired their best player in Rasheed Wallace. 11 mavs beat the best of the best in their prime.

[@tomralph8540]

Definitely, though maybe Giannis too. I love the fact that non-Americans stick with their team through thick and thin (typically). Good to see Jokic win with the team that drafted him too. Just need Luka to win one soon.

[@lacolem1]

Nah, that would be the ‘04 Pistons. But the Mavs are up there. Don’t pretend that team didn’t have a bunch of great players though

[@kingcarti8953]

It’s sickening how dirk doesn’t get talked about when he literally went against all dem stacked ass teams

[@HAZZ44]

crazy underrated

[@lancedones208]

It's hard for the NBA to admit they got ran through by some shaggy haired, lanky, German dude and his geriatric friends

[@user-hw7hw6td9b]

He had Jason Kidd Jason Terry and the goat JJ Barrea on his team. Like he didn’t have a stacked mavs team

[@RealMichaelJJordan]

@@user-hw7hw6td9bjason kidd and jj berea weren’t as good as you are making them out to be. Jason terry was really good tho

[@markogjorgiev4912]

@@user-hw7hw6td9b Would you take those guys over Bosh/Wade or Lebron?

[@PrettyboyAshtun]

his one ring means more than both of kd’s rings

[@wavedgoblin]

Been saying that for years and I’m a spurs fan lmao

[@jacksonconley5117]

He brought the city of Dallas their first NBA title and it was with the team that drafted him and had been there for 13 years. He was truly loyal to the Mavericks and I don’t see any other Maverick player surpassing him not even Luka Doncic.💙🖤🤍

[@zion9247]

Fax no doubt I don't even see kd as a champ he still has that burden he can't win without the warriors, draymond said it best they don't need him they won before and after kd

[@Gcool243]

KDs rings aren’t worth shit lol

[@NirYuZy]

​​@@jacksonconley5117 Mavs didnt draft Dirk

[@taxationistheft7]

Reason why people view dirk so highly is he went through the ups and downs with Dallas and never quit. Which is literally the opposite as to what Lebron, KD and all the modern stars do

[@SilentMovements305]

This comment deserves to be pinned

[@rahmv4877]

The key word was WITH DALLAS, Cleveland was not to LeBron's interest. Dallas has an owner that cares about players not just profit.

[@taxationistheft7]

@@rahmv4877 lol they traded and built teams around him. His second stint they had the largest cap in the league how they only care about profits?

[@mattkramer8426]

Can’t really say that about Bron. He want back to Cleveland and win a chip. And don’t tell me Cleveland was good. They had the number 1 pick the year Bron came back. Cleveland is great with Bron last in the league without him. Also Bron won in LA pretty much by himself as well. Say what you want about Bron falling short against the Mavs but at the same time I think Bron needed to be Batman even then because Wade couldn’t be Batman even in 2011 anymore. Once Bron was Batman and Wade Robin they went back to back. Also the team Bron dragged to the finals at age 22 is the worst team to make the finals in NBA history. Well between the 07 Cavs and 01 Sixers.

[@crater044]

​@@rahmv4877And Cleveland doesn't?

[@PatrickMundhenk-Koch]

The parts of Dirk's legacy you did not mention: - 2002 World championship bronze medal - 2005 Eurobasket silver medal - inspiring multiple generations of germans to pick up the basketball, without that there would likely not be the Wagner brothers with the magic, no Dennis Schröder, among others. - therefore no gold medal in the 2023 basketball world cup - most likely no Nikola Jokic or Luka Doncic in the NBA (among others) just think about that.

[@newzmta6185]

jokic and doncic not playing in the nba is hell of a stretch tbh

[@fabian-hugsforhikers]

- Changing how the game is played forever (strech-4s, everyone can shoot, etc. etc.) - Adding one more iconic move to the NBA, like Jordan's fadeaway, Kareem's Skyhook, or AI's crossover, that today's super stars all have in their repertoire (one-legged fadeaway)

[@ftcproductions5534]

arguably the most humble nba player ever honestly

[@tylerreda687]

Tim Duncan

[@nathanwhite2849]

@@tylerreda687no

[@Ultimagicarus]

Dirk and Tim

[@pandamonium19]

@@Ultimagicarusjoker and them

[@sambeezy007]

Russell too

[@kayagerbert]

I met dirk in Okinawa and me and my buddy were talking to him about this run and he seemed to light up when we brought it up. Super nice guy hope to talk to him again

[@jonnykilroy9762]

There's a really good case for Gm7 in San Antonio being the 2nd most if not the most important game in Mavs history. Anyone who was around back then remembers just how much Timmy and the Spurs tormented the Mavs every year. And for Dirk to go in Tim's house, outplay him and take the win, it was a HUGE deal. Feels like it just gets overshadowed because of the finals collapse

[@karrondavis]

Absolutely, Diop came up clutch on defense in that game 7. That was a huge hurdle the Mavs leaped. That series definitely got buried due to brutal 06 & 07 playoff series.

[@QuarantineCody]

*Dirk completed the hardest championship run of ALL TIME!* A young blazers full of talent Alderidge B Roy Wes Matthews Two time defending champions Lakers with Prime Kobe Prime Gasol Bynum Fisher and Odom Stacked OKC with three future MVPs Westbrook KD Harden Then the Miami Heat tearing up the league Prime Wade Bosh & LeBron 😱

[@IEmulateGames]

Criticizing a person for not playing through an injury is INSANE! Like they're people too you know. What happens if the injury worsened because they played through injury?

[@stefankatsarov5806]

The worst part is it might get so worse that it morfs into a career ending injury

[@trustnugget280]

Or life long pain. Kudos to Dirk for prioritising his own health.

[@peterzwegat789]

Actually Dirks body is still pretty​ damaged from playing 20 years. For example he told in an interview, that he can't play football with his kids due problems with his feet@@trustnugget280

[@smortg]

'Nowitzki doesn't charge into battle - he fades away" is wonderful way to summarise hos playstyle around an incredibly aesthetic shot. It may even outline the stereotypical difference between how we look at American basketball and other regions

[@BookOfChan]

easily one of the BEST well earned rings ever

[@drewtucker22]

As a lifelong Mavs fan, that run was everything to me growing up. Doubted in every round. He had to take on the pantheon, and he won. Around here we consider it the greatest playoff run of all time. 41-21-1, loyalty never fades.

[@DKtrek21]

I really have to cut classes just to watch the 2011 finals. Dirk in that season was majestic.

[@BrownMambaOfficial]

Im only ten minutes in, but as one of the biggest Dirk fans on the planet, this video doc is already better than 95% of Dirk content on KZbin. Everyone else does a great job of course, but it's too common to generalize Dirk's career by jumping from '98 to '06 then to '11 without. leaving room for what happened in between. I can bet that very few knew about how close Dallas was to winning in '03, and even fewer could tell you about the Mavs path in the playoffs in 05 and 06, so to get way more color into his career inside and out is really refreshing. Well done!

[@HAZZ44]

thank you!! had to look back over so many old articles to find all the overlooked details

[@eLu-l1y]

Arguably the Toughest playoff run in NBA history all things considered. I remember watching this series starting from the last game of the trailblazer's series to the last game, I was 16 so in Dallas and wanted to go to the championship parade so bad but i had school the next day. Best believe Ima be there when Luka is there. Every one of Jason Terrys 3's were so electrifying that year.

[@smarksvilleproductionstm3192]

As a person who’s a massive fan of Dirk and someone who remembers watching the second heat finals as a young six year old I really enjoyed this video great work

[@zennihilator3724]

Dirk is one of the most underrated players ever, imo. He's got a good case for Top 15 of all-time. A lot of his impact on the court is understated due to general poor understanding on how beneficial it is for a team to have a 7 footer than can dribble the ball, drive, score from any angle and shoot from deep... Especially 20 years ago this was even more instrumental because the lack of availability of these types of players in the NBA made his skillset even more valuable for the era he played in. I genuinely believe Dirk is a lot closer to someone like Shaq as an offensive force than people want to admit. Shaq has the prettier numbers, sure, and in good matchups he would absolutely feast + he was a menace on the offensive glass. But Dirk caused so many defensive mismatches just by his presence and skillset and opened up the half court for his teammates in a way never before seen. It's not a coincidence that Dallas had #1 and the #2 offense in the league in 2006 and 2007 WHILE playing guys like Erick Dampier, DeSangana Diop at Center...

[@baumstamm1000]

Seeing his famous highlights over and over again, makes you somehow realize, how Dirk perfected the art of playstyle where he basically created a clear 1v1 situation, read the defender, chose one option out of his repertoire and sunk a beautiful little shot like it’s a game of pop a shot.

[@wz-fv2ix]

One of the best finals ever. A superhero against the juggernauts of the East. So much back and forth.

[@jasonsandhu3760]

6 count em 6 all stars total in 21 years played with him ... 1 being a replacement. Only twice did he have an all NBA teammate in 21 years. Yet still he won 50 games every year for 13 straight years. He's undefeated against gasol, Kobe and Kg in the playoffs. Not one loss. He beat the spurs and Duncan twice ... How many ppl and teams can say that during that time. Dallas won more games than anyone not named the spurs. He just so happened to play in the same era as Kobe/Shaq and Duncan Coupled with LeBron/Wade coming in right behind him. Yet still with such little all star or all NBA help he prevailed. Despite the ,2006 rigging he was able to win a ring that holds so much weight none besides Hakeem 94 or pistons 04 can match it. Dirk is a legend and an icon. Career 25-10 playoff avgs better than Malone better than kg better than Duncan better than Webber...oh YOU didn't know ? Now you do !

[@yvak1232]

I was so happy and still am today that i took days off work to watch the finals back then. I was shouting and celebrating hard into the night with open windows. Neighbors must have hated the guy screaming them out of sleep. But it was just pure joy to watch those finals.

[@huhhhhhh5225]

19:20 "Nowitzki doesn't charge into battle, he fades away" this made me laugh so hard lmao

[@SeanDiego]

One of the best hard fought rings ever

[@SilentMovements305]

As a Lakers fan we would dominate this man but what he did in 2011 was crazy gotta respect that hustle grind n not giving up or running away to join other star players. Salute to that man

[@minutemenhunter]

Dirk is super slept on all tine for having the most incredible championship run and is also in the 30k club. Unreal

[@Pando0678]

Bro really fractured his finger and used that same hand to score a finger roll game-winning layup and also got the flu, but still won? Probably the most underrated top 10-20 player of all time.

[@brendonwallace6640]

Dirk probably the most underrated player ever imo

[@diib5206]

“If I was Serge ibaka I’d name my first son Dirk” 😂😂😂😂19:40

[@kekww1234]

Why is it so hard to say "German" instead of European. There is no "European" nationality, it is a continent. Imagine saying the "humble human" or the "humble earthling"

[@HAZZ44]

nothing personal, just probably used european once in the script and got used to writing it each time, my bad!

[@Zimba331]

Wow, I stumbled upon this video and didn’t plan to watch the whole thing but I watched it all the way through. Respect to Dirk

[@chichichichilling4822]

This is amazing. Sports are so powerful as a storytelling device.

[@HAZZ44]

powerful storytelling is always the goal!

[@brettbarreras48]

Dirk had to such a stacked west to got through year in and year out. Weber and the kings., kobe and Shaq, and the jailblazers early. Then the dynasty spurs and nash and the suns later on, All the while he was the sole superstar on the team. Heartbreaking loss in the finals to the heat with wade and shaq. Can't think of another more deserving ring in history than his win over the Heatles

[@jonathannavarro3671]

You love to see it. Dirk playing through that messed up finger and having his own flu game doesn’t get talked about enough. Hell of a run that year arguably the hardest earned championship in NBA history.

[@gron9418]

Playing with a fever is probably one of the most underrated things, that shit is tough. To even play on a normal level is extraordinary but this mf clapped a star team and won the greatest playoff run ever

[@nevergonnabesilent]

Dirk and the 2011 Mavericks had the hardest and most respected playoff run EVER! This is why over 13 years later, non Maverick fans make videos about how we won. Dirk not only silenced his critics but kicked the door open for other Europeans to succeed like GIannis, Jokic and Luka. Dirk is my favorite NBA player of all time. Lets go Mavs #MFFL

[@RiruKrypto_]

It's sad how this finals was overshadowed and talked more about LeBron choking than Dirk winning this ring and his performance. I remembered rooting for Dirk that year because this was really his last chance at winning a ring, I don't think he was ever gonna get another chance after that.

[@rickDArula]

That’s the Lebron effect. When he wins, it’s ALL HIM When they lose, his team let him down. He ruins team’s future as well

[@juanaxed4922]

@@rickDArulano one says this

[@rickDArula]

@juanaxed4922 literally half the nba fan base says this. And it's quite evident the media is in his pocket. But sure believe what you want

[@Dokenstein]

​@rickDArula what are you even talking about. The comment was about how the 2011 finals is talked about as LeBron choking instead of Dirk winning. And you're talking about how the LeBron effect is the losses being his teammates fault, when the majority of the time the 2011 finals discussion is about LeBron being the one who choked

[@juanaxed4922]

@@rickDArula no one says he wins it all by himself everyone knows that without dwade Bosh and Allen he wouldn’t have won in Miami everyone knows that without Kyrie they wouldn’t have won game 5,6 and 7 everyone knows without Ad bron wasn’t winning the bubble ring idk what stupid narrative you think is being painted where Lebron just goes out there and beats everyone else by himself

[@Mannrhm]

That ending man, inspirational

[@HAZZ44]

had me almost tearing when putting it together

[@Mannrhm]

@@HAZZ44 keep up the good work earned sub

[@retamui1824]

Most underrated Championship of all time. Basically worth 3 rings.

[@tjramos8184]

Dirk nowitzki my number one idol!

[@johnnier.o.d4746]

if dirk41 played with tyson chandler since day 1,he probably won 2 rings instead of 1 ..... go spurs !!!!!!!

[@dadon7276]

Arguably the best finals run🔥🔥

[@ADUSN]

LeBron was outplayed in the Finals by Jason Terry💀

[@cerebralfanatic]

Ever since I seen Dirk pull up with a to-go plate he been a real one to me

[@kgb4247]

I remember hating LeBron and Dirk at this time cause Kobe had just won it but everyone was talking about LeBron then Dirk comes out of no where and sweeps The Lakers like wtf who is this guy then proceeds to go on a legendary run but as young Laker fan at that time I was just fuck that guy Dirk but now looking back I'm glad Dirk Won he deserved and earned it and it was dope watching those games live I remember my cousin was a big LeBron fan so he was glazing him then was devastated when Dallas won🤣💀

[@bartholomew1608]

Dirk came outta nowhere and u didnt know who he was?? Tf. MVPs don't come outta nowhere

[@gradyjackson8517]

​@@bartholomew1608no one expected the mavs to win any series especially after the first round. He got lucky he didn't get the best version of playoff Kobe and Pau played like a buster he averaged like 12ppg. Then Kobe just came off 3 straight finals and was too old to carry the Lakers through the playoffs like he'd been doing. Thunder were still young and Tyson and Dampier werent letting LeBron and Wade run wild in the paint. Dirk snuck one in

[@SilentMovements305]

​​@@gradyjackson8517bro as a Lakers fan I'm not using no injury excuses for Kobe (those who kno kno) but that Mavs really gave us issues and I respected em boys even more when they swept us n went on to win the title.

[@gradyjackson8517]

@@SilentMovements305 well you can refuse to make an "injury" excuse all you like it still doesn't negate the fact the supporting cast played like g league players he had absolutely no help that series. That's the thing about Kobe fans some of y'all are autistic and can't be objective. Kobes supposed to win with any bulbs while everyone else has top 75 players and hall of famers it's makes no sense. Thats why I respect Kobe he had to figure things out with the odds against him 🫡🐐🐍

[@cjvaye99]

that 2011 destruction is the reason I hate the Mavs almost as much as the Celtics and clippers. there's only a few teams I've ever hated as a Lakers fan, obviously Boston and the clippers are at the top but the Mavs and now nuggets are there too 😂

[@outsidethematrix593]

and put the biggest stain on LeBron's goat case

[@M1ch43l33]

Dirk was the motivation of literally every german kid playing basketball

[@jesusgaranton985]

i cried at the end, the storytelling was amazing. Dirk really accomplished what everyone thought was impossible at the time, cementing himself as one of the greatest to ever do it, to this day he's still one of mu favorite players ever. one of the all time GOATs

[@HAZZ44]

thank you, after going in depth on his story, I had some tears myself at the end ❤️

[@casadycawlfield1019]

Dirk is my goat.

[@samabudhabi1370]

Imagine being the MVP-caliber superstar that singlehandedly carries your team to the finals with little to no help at all and everybody is like "yeah, they totally lost because of him." BECAUSE??? Whatsoever, being the humble guy he is, it's not surprising that he struggled '06 when everybody was expecting him to win and that he excelled '11 when he was the complete underdog

[@slogiranopile3860]

When I started training basketball I had the honor to watch the whole Mavs NBA 2010-2011 season, stayed up late at night with my dad because I was a PF myself he told me to watch Dirk... so glad I did.

[@OnramRiftz]

I thank the US to acknowledge Dirk's greatness! Our best player ever and a nice person as well.

[@bankrolledgar1969]

People forget how bad his teams were

[@conradvonhotzendorf5134]

Top quality content Idol

[@gustavmaschine808]

This 2011 ring is the most meaningful ring for a single player of all time

[@SeanDiego]

Skip looked like he was a young 74 skeletor

[@cjvaye99]

Kwame Brown calls him Dracula 😂

[@flofallerf1549]

This video is so well done man 🙌🏻

[@FupaDoncic]

Loyalty never fades!

[@Zuzamecagoenuli-jr6gq]

Iverson: “It’s impossible to win a ring with a sole superstar” Dirk: “Hold my beer”

[@RealMichaelJJordan]

If we’re talking about the most impressive title runs Dirk is peak.

[@Riese79]

Chandler was the key. Dont know why Dallas Didnt resign him. 😢

[@ernestomoreno4409]

They blew up the team because Cuban wanted a chance at getting both Dwight Howard and Deron Williams.

[@jjoworld]

Tyson didn't want to wait to see if dallas acquired Howard. Which was huge mistake on cubans part . He would win Defensive player of the year with knicks

[@gabrielfermaint7665]

Jj Barea was

[@jjoworld]

@@gabrielfermaint7665 lmao definitely not jj. Tyson Chandler was

[@gabrielfermaint7665]

@@jjoworld he was the key to get to where Tyson Chandler was the key. He played like he had been 6th man of the year throughout his career. He decimated the lakers.

[@jmiranda4960]

This playoff run actually completely changed two legacies. Dirk's own and lebron's, who had he won, would have a 3peat under his belt, 5 rings overall and this very pathetic embarrassing performance that has forever marred his status today would never have existed.

[@swaGGer1jaKKer1]

What a redemption story for Dirk. Great video 👍

[@HAZZ44]

❤️❤️

[@michaelferrari1360]

The first part of his career reminds me of Embiid, dominant in the regular season, also winning an MVP, but no depth in the playoff, with bad games when it matters the most.

[@shac0le]

You can say what you want but Dirk's Ring was probably the hardest out of any player.

[@xxdemestrosxx]

this playoff run changed how we view nba legacy. now joker is an all time great, because we don't judge him by how many rings he has, rather by how he led a losing franchise to a chip while changing the center position in basketball.

[@jaydencraddock1186]

Dirk was a bad mf so happy he took the heat down

[@dunnobutwayne]

he is a true german... you stay with your team... till the end Dirk the best

[@PapaEmoRides]

One really needs both the good and the bad to be one of the best: Dirk - 2007/2011; Kobe: 2008/2010; Bron - 2011/2016.

[@nuraby_9228]

You know what else changed Dirk's legacy? The 2006 finals being rigged.

[@TaigaOnYT]

Very well done video man.

[@HAZZ44]

thanks ♥

[@tommybahammy]

Great Vid thank you for letting me relive this story 👌

[@shayanvaziri5249]

well said

[@mattkramer8426]

Heaviest Ring in NBA history. This is something KD could never do.

[@BabyZacc]

19:40 Jeff van gundy was my favorite commentator of all time 😂

[@MortanAMrk]

Tbf to Dirk in the 06 finals having 49 free throws against you in a single game is bare impossible, but he should have won the other games

[@MrQuizno99]

My Lakers were gassed that year man, 3 straight finals in a tough western conference takes a toll on you..

[@MrQuizno99]

Jason Kidd’s impact needs to be studied, what a goat! Dallas became a different team in 09 once he returned. His defense, timely playmaking, and improved spot up shooting at that age is crazy. This man was guarding Kobe, Lebron and WB and even Wade at times successfully at that age.. that team to me is like the 2013 Red Sox team, Dirk being comparable to Ortiz. Experiencing both years while it happened, just sticks with you forever as a sports fan. Dirk is a legend!

[@tomralph8540]

This is an awesome video about an underrated NBA story. Good work man!

[@HAZZ44]

hard not to love dirk's story

[@SweetChariotOfFire]

His one ring means more than any of Lebron's rings, except for the CLE w/Kyrie one.

[@gnutscha]

wow i didn't even know uptil now that they've played the kd-russ-harden thunder in the 2011 playoffs. that makes the ring even more insane

[@freddieposey9222]

This is a great video

[@HAZZ44]

Thanks bro

[@ontrack16]

As a Warriors fan, the We Believe team was the greatest team run for us up to that point. It felt like a championship. ❤

[@hgitt1631]

love me some dirk 🤩

[@blasterofmuppets4754]

People here in Germany worship this guy. He is greatly beloved. He is also one of only two Basketball players people usually know. The other one is Michael Jordan. Most People have never heard of Lebron James.

[@okaynot3878]

Bro how you only got 2k subs you need more

[@HAZZ44]

thanks bro

[@cameronfowler2670]

His 1 ring is more valuable than all of Steph’s

[@billdover3165]

I honestly cannot put the loss of the 2006 nba finals on Dirk at all. Is anyone watched that entire NBA finals they saw when the Miami Heat was down that the referee's not only very blatantly helped Duane Wade get more foul calls and free throws than end entire nba team in one game then a second game then a third game then a fourth game. And it was because they had Shaquille O'Neill Wayne wages and Williams and Gary Peyton on that team all huge superstars and some of The most polarizing players that we've ever seen. And Dirk had an incredible career and manage to play the game the right way and he left it in a great spot and he never talked poorly about people and he always kept his head up and He's absolutely one of a My all time favorite players.But as an added bonus he got to expose Duane Wade and Lebron James and tainted their legacies because of the childish bullshit that they were doing and mocking him despite the fact that he played with a 102 fever and beat them. Then you went on to win a ring after they mocked him.

[@Greatzinger67]

Learned a lot from this video, very well done!

[@edwardpamintuan]

Overcoming all the setbacks def adds to his legacy

[@zachkh]

Nowitzki with the left hand

[@jhay-hc7ct]

Count it!

[@YouTubeWatching67]

As kid seeing this happen hurt alot but when you're young you forget and move on. Now as adult seeing luka go threw it i feel as it well be different this time around for Mavs.

[@TacticalPower88]

That TEAM was one of the best TEAMS of all time. This wasn't a very top heavy squad, everybody had clearly defined complimentary roles that they played close to perfectly. The timing of all those guys to be together THAT PARTICULAR YEAR was amazing. Jet, J Kidd, Chandler, Marion, Peja, JJ Barea really wasn't playing games that year.

[@petergriffith4585]

Dirk beat a Super Team, And he beat the guy that fighting to be GOAT. That why his Chip means so much becuase it use ro hurt another player who people hate more then Dirk

[@joshuaSSC]

Media sucks... Dirk destroy those narratives

[@ZachNovak]

Great video man

[@ItzrushxX]

one of the greatest playoff runs i ever witness took out some gods

[@IchbinMarc]

Great storytelling!

[@HAZZ44]

❤️❤️

[@whogon]

I always thought it was VERY unfair to call him soft, to some degree, I get it, bc he was never a "power" big guy like Mark Gasol, Shaq, Barkley, etc. He was just a finesse big man, with DEADLY shooting--even from VERY deep. The one criticism I agree with, is he probably needed slightly better defense, his effort was always top-notch, but it's just the tradeoff, for a 3-point shooting forward/center. I would probably put him as the #1 best shooting big-man of ALL-TIME. I always put players like Bill Russell, slightly above Dirk, bc my favorite players are usually defensive players, but Dirk's game was SO utterly polished, even though I was never CLOSE 2 being a Mavs fan, I was GENUINELY happy 2 see him win @ least ONE championship. Few players have worked THAT hard, put an entire franchise on their back, against 1 of the best teams EVER w/LeBron & D-Wade both in their prime. It woulda haunted Dirk 4 the rest of his life, to never win a title 🏆

[@kLeo20Toes]

That whole season I was hearing about dirk and the mavericks just like with Durant and okc run so we knew they were going to the finals..

[@krni1592]

Together with Franz Beckenbauer and Micheal Schuhmacher, the greatest German athlete to ever live

[@HerrJunren]

Steffi Graff also deserves to be in the list.

[@haxkztasy]

Gerd Müller?

[@JamesMitchell-g1f]

I'm so sick of the single handed narrative. Jet was amazing in that playoff run, Matrix locked down LeBron, and Carlisle made brilliant adjustments. I can go on.

[@relentlesshunter1394]

they act like this is a one man carry job 😂😂😂