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Illustrated portrait of NBA player Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki

Dirk Nowitzki stats, teams and career impact

#42 all-timeCareer averages · 20.7 PPG · 7.5 RPG · 2.4 APGPeak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded

Position
Power forward
Final NBA team
Dallas Mavericks
Height / weight
7 ft 0 in (213 cm) · 245 lb (111 kg)
Born
June 19, 1978 (48 yrs old)
NBA seasons
21 seasons · 1998–99 to 2018–19

Career summaryDirk Nowitzki was a power forward who played 21 NBA seasons, from 1998–99 through 2018–19.

Career PPG
20.7
Career RPG
7.5
Career APG
2.4
Best-Season Impact Rank
#4 in 2005–06
Career Impact Rank
#42 all-time
Peak-weighted regular-season model · playoffs, awards, and championships excluded

Career overview

Why Dirk Nowitzki ranks #42 all time

Dirk Nowitzki ranks #42 all time. 7 top-ten finishes give him a sustained run near the top of the league. His full-career value ranks #24, so longevity is a major reason he lands this high.

Peak#4 in 2005–06

Best league finish

Sustained excellence2 top-five finishes

7 top-ten finishes

Career breadth21 seasons

1,522 games · Career Value Rank #24

NBA honors14× All-Star · MVP · 12× All-NBAContext only; honors are not model inputs.

Head to head

Compare Dirk Nowitzki with…

Choose any two players →

Suggested matchups from basketball rivalries, comparable roles, and similar careers. Compare career impact, peak seasons, and the numbers behind the result.

  1. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Karl Malone All-time forwards
  2. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Charles Barkley All-time forwards
  3. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Giannis Antetokounmpo All-time forwards
  4. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Kevin McHale All-time forwards
  5. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Tim Duncan Similar career path
  6. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Kobe Bryant Similar career path
  7. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Paul Pierce Similar career path
  8. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Hakeem Olajuwon Similar career path
  9. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Vince Carter Similar career path
  10. Dirk Nowitzki vs. Pau Gasol Same-era comparison
Suggested comparisons, not a ranking of search traffic.
Full player detailsTeam history, career shooting and sources

Full team history

Teams
Dallas Mavericks

Career shooting

NBA regular season
Field goal
47.1%FG%
Three-point
38.0%3P%
Free throw
87.9%FT%

1,522 career games · 51,368 minutes

Sources and updateConventional stats and measurements: Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 13, 2026. hussEyquation ranking data through 2025–26. Life dates: Wikidata; conflicting dates checked against Basketball Reference, accessed Sep 17, 2026.

Traditional box score

Dirk Nowitzki stats by season

Start with scoring and impact, then switch views for shooting or the full advanced picture. Career percentages use total makes and attempts.

Swipe for PPG · RPG · APG · Impact · Team · G · GS · MPG →

2018–197.33.10.7-3.38DAL512015.635.9%31.2%78.0%#336-22.6
2017–1812.05.71.6+2.56DAL777724.745.6%40.9%89.8%#46172.6
2016–1714.26.51.5+1.78DAL545426.443.7%37.8%87.5%#59103.4
2015–1618.36.51.8+2.35DAL757531.544.8%36.8%89.3%#44201.8
2014–1517.35.91.9+1.55DAL777729.645.9%38.0%88.2%#68160.5
2013–1421.76.22.7+4.74DAL808032.949.7%39.8%89.9%#10345.2
2012–1317.36.82.5+3.10DAL534731.347.1%41.4%86.0%#28166.1
2011–1221.66.72.2+3.91DAL626233.545.7%36.8%89.6%#17234.0
2010–1123.07.02.6+4.35DAL737334.351.7%39.3%89.2%#10302.3
2009–1025.07.72.7+4.22DAL818037.548.1%42.1%91.5%#11364.2
2008–0925.98.42.4+3.61DAL818137.747.9%35.9%89.0%#18326.2
2007–0823.68.63.5+5.64DAL777736.047.9%35.9%87.9%#6397.3
2006–0724.68.93.4+7.23DAL787836.250.2%41.6%90.4%#4485.5
2005–0626.69.02.8+7.35DAL818138.148.0%40.6%90.1%#4528.4
2004–0526.19.73.1+6.63DAL787838.745.9%39.9%86.9%#7503.4
2003–0421.88.72.7+3.80DAL777737.946.2%34.1%87.7%#16328.2
2002–0325.19.93.0+6.66DAL808039.046.3%37.9%88.1%#7520.3
2001–0223.49.92.4+4.35DAL767638.047.7%39.7%85.3%#15354.8
2000–0121.89.22.1+4.41DAL828238.147.4%38.7%83.8%#18389.1
1999–0017.56.52.5+1.40DAL828135.846.1%37.9%83.0%#67197.4
1998–998.23.41.0-2.28DAL472420.440.5%20.6%77.3%#222-5.0
Career20.77.52.4—DAL1522—33.847.1%38.0%87.9%——

Source: Basketball Reference regular-season totals, accessed Sep 13, 2026.

Film evidence

Dirk Nowitzki highlights

Watch the selected footage or film analysis, then use the season record and impact data to put what happened on the floor in context.

Film breakdown

The most unique offensive weapon in NBA history?

The analysis explains how Nowitzki's shooting, height and one-legged fadeaway changed defensive geometry beyond what his scoring average alone shows.

What these measures mean
Era-centered box impact
Estimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average.
Impact Rate Rank
The player's place among qualified players in one season.
Value contribution / Season Value
Completed seasons use a fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. The live season instead uses Season Value, combining that season's impact with workload.
Career Impact Rank
An all-time rank weighted toward the player's best three, five, and ten seasons.
Best 5#47

5.6 average league finish

Career Value Rank#24

6,053 total value

Career standing

How Dirk Nowitzki ranks all time

These are league placements, not raw scores. Each season is judged against that season's qualified player pool.

Number-one seasons0

Best in the league

Top-five seasons2

Elite finishes

Top-ten seasons7

Upper-tier finishes

Top-10 Impact Margin17.4

Tie-breaker across top-ten seasons

Career Composite Score5.8

Best 3, Best 5, and Best 10 average league finishes receive 50%, 30%, and 20% window weights. Missing seasons receive a replacement finish just below the player's typical qualified field. Lower is better.

Best 3 effective weight
74%
Missing-season finish
338.0
Qualified seasons
21
All-time rank
#42
Strongest seasons

Every season

Dirk Nowitzki advanced stats by season

Era-centered box impact supports comparisons through time. Impact Rate and its rank compare players only within that season.

More advanced statsAge, minutes, impact, rank, value and data coverage
2018–19Historical Defense EstimateDAL4051795-3.389.0#336-22.611thStandard
2017–18Historical Defense EstimateDAL39771,900+2.5687.5#46172.688thBroad
2016–17Historical Defense EstimateDAL38541,424+1.7884.0#59103.477thBroad
2015–16Historical Defense EstimateDAL37752,364+2.3588.2#44201.891stBroad
2014–15Historical Defense EstimateDAL36772,282+1.5581.9#68160.586thBroad
2013–14Historical Defense EstimateDAL35802,628+4.7497.4#10345.297thBroad
2012–13Historical Defense EstimateDAL34531,661+3.1092.3#28166.185thBroad
2011–12Historical Defense EstimateDAL33622,079+3.9195.3#17234.096thBroad
2010–11Historical Defense EstimateDAL32732,504+4.3597.4#10302.396thBroad
2009–10Historical Defense EstimateDAL31813,039+4.2297.0#11364.299thBroad
2008–09Historical Defense EstimateDAL30813,050+3.6194.9#18326.297thBroad
2007–08Historical Defense EstimateDAL29772,769+5.6498.5#6397.398thBroad
2006–07Historical Defense EstimateDAL28782,820+7.2399.1#4485.599thBroad
2005–06Historical Defense EstimateDAL27813,089+7.3599.1#4528.499thBroad
2004–05Historical Defense EstimateDAL26783,020+6.6398.3#7503.499thBroad
2003–04Historical Defense EstimateDAL25772,915+3.8095.5#16328.297thBroad
2002–03Historical Defense EstimateDAL24803,117+6.6698.1#7520.399thBroad
2001–02Historical Defense EstimateDAL23762,891+4.3595.7#15354.896thBroad
2000–01Historical Defense EstimateDAL22823,125+4.4194.8#18389.197thBroad
1999–00Historical Defense EstimateDAL21822,938+1.4079.4#67197.488thBroad
1998–99Historical Defense EstimateDAL2047958-2.2819.9#222-5.020thStandard

Career movement

Dirk Nowitzki's career impact by season

Peak +7.35 in 2005–06 · 21 seasons · 51,368 minutes

The same historical box-score model is used for every season, making the career shape comparable through time. The vertical scale adapts to this player's range and always includes zero.

Era-centered box impactMinutes
Player-specific impact scaleWorkload

Career comparison

Compare the shape, not the calendar

Align by NBA experience to compare season one with season one, or by age to compare players at the same stage of life.

Open full comparison →
Dirk NowitzkiKarl Malone
Era-centered box impactEstimated points per 100 possessions above that season's league average · dashed marker means the player did not play
Dirk Nowitzki and Karl Malone era-centered impact values by NBA season number
NBA seasonDirk NowitzkiKarl Malone
1-2.3-0.8
21.41.6
34.42.2
44.35.4
56.76.1
63.85.3
76.65.3
87.47.3
97.25.3
105.64.5
113.66.5
124.27.3
134.36.2
143.95.9
153.17.2
164.75.5
171.53.9
182.34.2
191.82.6
202.6Did not play
21-3.4Did not play

NBA season number

Similar career arcs

Players with careers similar to Dirk Nowitzki

The career-similarity score compares era-centered box impact, peak, prime, workload, career length, position, and experience-aligned trajectory. It describes career shape, not playing style, equal ability, or probability.

How to read this page

Impact Rate shows how strong a player was compared with everyone else that season. Season Value adds how much he played; completed player-profile rows instead show each season's fixed-baseline contribution to Career Value. Career Impact Rank rewards a high peak, a long prime, and repeated seasons near the top. Older seasons use clearly labeled estimates where the NBA did not record today's full set of statistics. Read how every ranking works →