Dirk Nowitzki
1998–99 to 2018–19 · 21 seasons
NBA player comparison
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Kevin McHale: Career comparison
Regular-season verdict
Dirk Nowitzki ranks higher in career impact
Kevin McHale
1980–81 to 1992–93 · 13 seasons
Impact comparison
#42LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#157
+7.4LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+4.3
+6.7LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.4
4.7LeadsBest 3 average finishAverage league place; closer to No. 1 is better15.7
+6,053 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementCumulative regular-season value+2,509 pts
7LeadsTop-10 impact seasons0
Career Impact Rank places Dirk Nowitzki #42 and Kevin McHale #157. It combines league finishes across each player's best three, five, and ten regular seasons, giving the most weight to the best three.
Regular season only. Impact figures are estimates; small gaps are not exact. Playoffs, awards and titles do not determine the verdict.
Career Impact RankSee exactly how both rankings are calculatedDirk Nowitzki5.813 · No. 42Kevin McHale20.453 · No. 157
Only the three league-finish windows below determine Career Impact Rank. Career Value and peak impact are separate measures; neither adds points to this calculation. Lower composite scores rank higher.
Dirk Nowitzki
5.813 composite · No. 42 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 42005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 4.667 | 50% | 2.333 |
| Best 5No. 42005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 5.600 | 30% | 1.680 |
| Best 10No. 42005–06Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 42006–07Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 62007–08Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72002–03Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 72004–05Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102010–11Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 102013–14Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 112009–10Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 152001–02Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 162003–04Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 9.000 | 20% | 1.800 |
2.333 + 1.680 + 1.800= 5.813
Kevin McHale
20.453 composite · No. 157 all-time
| Window and finishes used | Average finish | Weight | Contribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Best 3No. 111986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 15.667 | 50% | 7.833 |
| Best 5No. 111986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 251987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 19.800 | 30% | 5.940 |
| Best 10No. 111986–87Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 131985–86Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 231989–90Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 251987–88Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 271984–85Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 341990–91Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 361983–84Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 441988–89Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 571982–83Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimateNo. 641981–82Recorded box inputsIncludes bounded historical defense estimate | 33.400 | 20% | 6.680 |
7.833 + 5.940 + 6.680= 20.453
Averages, contributions, and totals are displayed to three decimal places. The ranking calculation keeps full source precision. Read the full method →
Full comparison · Career comparison
Understand the numbers
Start with impact, then compare playing time and skills. Team results add context. These are not categories to tally into a winner.
1 · Ranking evidence
Impact: who ranks higher, and why?
Career Impact Rank compares entire regular-season careers across NBA history. It combines average league places across the best three, five, and ten seasons, weighted 50%, 30%, and 20%. A lower rank or average place is better.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Career Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank | #42Better result for this metric. | #157 |
| Best 3 average finish | 4.7Better result for this metric. | 15.7 |
| Best 5 average finish | 5.6Better result for this metric. | 19.8 |
| Best 10 average finish | 9.0Better result for this metric. | 33.4 |
Show more stats: Impact
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Points-above-replacement rankAll-time rank in estimated regular-season points above replacement | #24Better result for this metric. | #128 |
| Peak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average | +7.4Better result for this metric. | +4.3 |
| Best 3 average impact | +7.1Better result for this metric. | +3.9 |
| Best 5 average impact | +6.7Better result for this metric. | +3.4 |
| Best 10 average impact | +5.6Better result for this metric. | +2.5 |
| Points above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better | +6,053 ptsBetter result for this metric. | +2,509 pts |
| Seasons ranked No. 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Top-five impact seasons | 2Better result for this metric. | 0 |
| Top-ten impact seasons | 7Better result for this metric. | 0 |
2 · Playing time and responsibility
How much did each player take on?
Read games and minutes alongside impact. Offensive usage is the share of team plays a player ends with a shot, free throws, or a turnover while on court. More usage is not automatically better.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 1,522 | 971 |
| Minutes | 51,368 | 30,118 |
3 · Individual skills
Where does each player have an advantage?
These are each player's averages across up to ten best seasons. Career Impact Rank gives the Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights, giving the most weight to the highest peak. The model accounts for position, role, pace, playing time, and team results. Green marks the better result for a metric, including lower turnover rates. Workload and shot-selection measures stay neutral. These rows are not votes toward the ranking.
Shooting
True shooting includes two-pointers, three-pointers, and free throws.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| True shooting percentage | 57.7% | 60.5%Better result for this metric. |
| True shootingAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 59.3% | 61.3%Better result for this metric. |
Show more stats: Shooting
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Field-goal percentage | 47.1% | 55.4%Better result for this metric. |
| Three-point percentage | 38.0%Better result for this metric. | 26.1% |
| Free-throw percentage | 87.9%Better result for this metric. | 79.8% |
Passing
Assist rate is the share of teammates’ made shots assisted while the player is on court. Read turnovers alongside offensive workload; lower turnover rate is generally better.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Assist rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.9%Better result for this metric. | 8.3% |
| Assists per game | 2.4Better result for this metric. | 1.7 |
Show more stats: Passing
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Turnover rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 8.7%Better result for this metric. | 11.7% |
Rebounding
Rebound rate is the share of available rebounds collected while on court.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Rebound rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 13.3% | 13.3% |
| Rebounds per game | 7.5Better result for this metric. | 7.3 |
Defense
Steals and blocks describe only part of defense. They do not capture every stop, rotation, or matchup.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Steal rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 1.3%Better result for this metric. | 0.6% |
Show more stats: Defense
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Block rateAverage across the best impact seasons selected for the model input profile | 2.0% | 3.2%Better result for this metric. |
Scoring
Points per game describe scoring volume, not overall impact.
| Metric | Dirk Nowitzki | Kevin McHale |
|---|---|---|
| Points per game | 20.7Better result for this metric. | 17.9 |
4 · Team context, not ranking inputs
What happened with and without them?
A verified with/without comparison is unavailable for this scope. We do not substitute another season’s observations.
Four separate questions
Impact, winning, playoffs, and awards
These are different ways to understand a career. Only Regular Season Impact determines the hussEyquation verdict. The other three sections add basketball context without adding points or changing the rank.
Regular Season Impact
Dirk Nowitzki ranks higher in career impact.
Dirk NowitzkiMetricKevin McHale
#42LeadsCareer Impact RankPeak-weighted regular-season rank#157
+7.4LeadsPeak era-centered impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average+4.3
+6.7LeadsBest 5 average impact+3.4
+6,053 ptsLeadsPoints above replacementRegular season · fixed -2.0 replacement baseline · higher is better+2,509 pts
This is the ranking result. It uses regular-season impact only. Team records, playoffs, and awards do not change it.
Team Success
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Dirk NowitzkiMetricKevin McHale
987LeadsListed-team regular-season wins738
59.0%Listed-team winning percentage69.2%Leads
12Leads50-win team seasons11
360-win team seasons5Leads
15LeadsPlayoff team seasons13
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Final records for every listed team-season. A traded season can include more than one team.
Playoff Résumé
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Dirk NowitzkiMetricKevin McHale
15LeadsPlayoff appearances13
145Playoff games169Leads
70Team playoff wins100Leads
2Finals appearances5Leads
1Championships3Leads
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Team playoff results count only seasons when the player appeared in a playoff game.
Awards
The advantages are split across the available measures.
Dirk NowitzkiMetricKevin McHale
14LeadsAll-Star7
1LeadsMVP0
12LeadsAll-NBA1
0All-Defense6Leads
0DPOY0
0Rookie of the Year0
Context only. Not included in Career Impact Rank. Major regular-season honors are recognition, not inputs to the impact ranking.
How each context field is counted
- Listed-team regular-season wins
- The sum of each listed team's final wins in every season the player represented that team.
- Listed-team winning percentage
- Those team wins divided by those teams' total regular-season games.
- 50- and 60-win team seasons
- Listed team-seasons that finished with at least 50 or 60 wins. Shortened seasons are not projected to 82 games.
- Team seasons reaching playoffs
- Listed team-seasons in which that team qualified for the playoffs.
- Playoff appearances and games
- Postseasons and games in which the player appeared.
- Team playoff wins
- Team wins from those postseasons. They describe team results, not individual credit.
- Finals appearances and championships
- Seasons when the player appeared in the playoffs for the finalist or champion.
- Awards
- Recorded NBA selections and major regular-season honors. A zero means the source records none; Not available means the source field is missing.
Source and scope Basketball Reference, NBA seasons 1950–51 through 2025–26, accessed 2026-10-09.
Career Shape Explorer
How the careers developed
Follow every regular season by NBA experience or age. This view describes the path; it does not create another verdict.
Dirk NowitzkiKevin McHalePeak seasonHistorical source qualification
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average
Season-by-season evidenceRead both careers at the same stage
Every observed season keeps its age, era-centered impact estimate, league rank when qualified, career-stage label, and exact evidence link. A missing career point stays missing.
Dirk NowitzkiNBA seasonKevin McHale
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Season 9
Season 10
Season 11
Season 12
Season 13
Season 14
No season
Season 15
No season
Season 16
No season
Season 17
No season
Season 18
No season
Season 19
No season
Season 20
No season
Observed values come from the accepted season comparison record. Historical source qualifications stay attached to affected seasons. Missing means no NBA season exists at that aligned point; it is never interpolated. Missing is not the same as estimated.