Now Dirk is one of the top ten players of all time, Because? HE IS A LEAGUE MVP, A FINALS MVP, AND A CHAMP!!!! So that just proves it for everyone who said that "he will never win a ring so he can't be a top ten of all time". He is my favorite player of all time, Dirk deserves it.
jaime viqueira - 13 years ago
Yes, he belongs in the top 10 list! I have seen them all: Cousy, Chamberlain, Russel, Jordan Bird, West, Oscar, Alcindor, Havlicek, Julius, Frazier, Earl, Isahias, etc., Every one of these great players that won championships, had a complete team with great coaching supporting them. They didn't accomplised it by themselve. Perhaps Dirk, at this moment of his career, has that complete team that will enable him to get that missing ring! But this will not add or improved him as a basketball players, this will only add to the achievements he already have attained through his basketball carreer!
Jake - 13 years ago
mmm lots of Mavs fans apparently voting.
But I guess its fair since the poll is about "your" top ten so if you've only been alive 20 years and watching the NBA for half of that, you never really saw Jordan play, or Malone, or Russell. I can say that I did not watch them play simply because I didn't get their games very often. That and pre-HD basketball was horrendous to watch on TV.
So "your" top-ten should only have players you actually saw play, or have vast knowledge about since you studied their game. I'm sure everybody knows Jordan and them were dominant, but its harder to compare their game with say Dirk because you didn't see them play in the same situation. Heck Jordan is too new, lets say Larry Bird vs. Dirk. Obviously someone watching Dirk is going to say "he's way better" but you aren't taking into account the difference in defenses, age, rule changes, size, supporting cast, coaching, etc. Career numbers really aren't an accurate comparison, for example I don't know how many foul shots Dirk averages but probably higher than the old days, with all the ridiculous touch fouls and shenanigans going on today. Swing-through anybody? Punch Dirk in the ribs a few times when he's going for a rebound and throw a few elbows into his face and see how well he shoots after that.
Just sayin'
Y'all should say "My top ten list is ..... and I am ... years old and have watched the NBA for ... years." See that explains your list in and of itself.
Will Tai - 13 years ago
I agree that there's no way Dirk is in the top 10 at the moment (and probably not ever), but it's very hard to judge what we're trying to decide is "Top 10" material. There's no doubt that Dirk is a uniquely special talent that the NBA has not seen the likes of until now, and his influence to the NBA scene is as great as many of the great players, due to him coming from overseas.
P.S. For those who try to make valid points, it is so hard to take you seriously when you horribly misspell a player's name.
Bill Davis - 13 years ago
Are you kidding?!?! Dirk isn't top ten today let alone in history. Here are the league's best... Kobe Bryant, Labron James, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Derek Rose, Manu Ginobli, Ray Allen, Chris Paul, Chris Bosch & Paul Pierce.
Answer this... If Dirk were 6'6" would he even be in the league? NO!!!
mike pollard - 13 years ago
Lebron and others don't show up the way Dirk has in the playoffs. Avg 25 pts & 10 reb in the playoffs. Who else has done that? He already passed Larry Bird in scoring and Tim Duncan. Go look up his clutch shooting to win games when there is 10 secs or less. top 25 yes. top 15 yes. top 10? maybe with 22,792 pts & 4 years left averaging 20 pts per game he should be top 5 all-time scoring.
Ice - 13 years ago
People should also consider Dirk's impact as an International player. If you'd consider what he has brought to the NBA as an international player, I'd say he cracks the top ten.
Ice - 13 years ago
People should also consider Dirk's impact as an International player. If you'd consider what he has brought to the NBA as an international player, I'd day he cracks the top ten.
ektor - 13 years ago
Dirk it's surely one of the top ten players of all time! The only thing that dosen't make him better than Larry Bird is a ring. He diserves it, he is one of the most constant player in this era and has the best stroke in his game right now, and ever. None has the ability of shooting the ball 14 feet in the air like that and make shots like he does, being a seven footer, he is a very unique player in his game and those type of players are the ones who make it to the top ten list. He's the best international player of all time, so he needs to be on the top ten...period.
Bchunk - 13 years ago
-jg2209-
larry bird could play some D
he made all defensive teams early in his career.
as for dirk, he is top 30, maybe 25-15 if he wins a title which im afraid he wont
Mr. K - 13 years ago
There are obviously a lot of Mavs fans voting here. But there is no way that Dirk is top ten of all time. Maybe top 25, and if he wins a ring this year he could move up into the top 20, maybe. If he continues to be as good as he has been this year, then breaking into the top 15 may be possible, though not at all likely. But it would be extremely hard to break into the top ten unless he has some pretty fantastic years ahead of him, like, say, multiple rings and better stats than he puts up now.
Dirk is obviously a top ten PF. But here's the thing, there are at least six other PFs that could be reasonably argued to rank ahead of him: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Elvin Hayes, Bob Pettit, and Kevin Garnett. So if he's only the 6th or 7th best PF, then there is no possible way that he is top 10 over all. Especially, given that of the above names, Tim Duncan and Karl Malone are the only two that possibly could crack the top ten overall, and that's pretty iffy for both of them.
So, is Dirk top 25? maybe.
Top 20? not yet, but a possibility.
Top 15? no, and likely never.
Top 10? definitely not.
Serbia - 13 years ago
Who donlt like Dirk,please stop writing here.He is the best player in NBA.Go Mavs
Kosovo is Serbia!
Not Now? - 13 years ago
Dirk is Killing it ATM- therefore this conversation is a bit biased, we should have this arguement when their careers are over and done.
molaboy - 13 years ago
it's not accurate to gauge all of them together because they are not in the same ERA, imo.
why is MJ the no.1? simple, he outshined all the great player in his ERA. same for Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jerry West and Oscar. These guys of course have supporting casts but their presence is larger than life.
As for the rest, I'm not even sure if they are greater than the other and also some of them are 2-man players when they dominated the game (i.e. stockton&malone, duncan&david, hakeem&drexler, shaq&kobe). KG is good but his wolves were not that competitive. Dirk on the other hand proved consistency but always short of getting a ring. so I would say, we are just overhyped this season, lets see if he can get a ring and lets reconsider.
dominamalu - 13 years ago
C'mon guys . . Dirk is a great player, but to be an elite and a greatest player of all times is too much. In my opinion , as of this time he just might need that ring . It is the mirror of greatness, honor & fulfillment ( Beating all of the guys particularly the "big three" of Miami in a championship game deserves all the accolades worldwide ) .
Ford - 13 years ago
I am a big fan of Dirk. I want him to be at the top of the best player ever ofcourse, but as a fan I do witness Dirk flaws, I think dirk need to display much hassle on defense, he should move without the ball and maybe share the ball wisely. I can't wait to see Mr. Dirk Nowitzki posting up a triple double. You can do it Mr. Dirk. Go and Get that ring!!
javier - 13 years ago
No for me Dirk isnt in top10 he is great and amazing but there is 10 players better than him in the history of basketball.
And i saw a comment around there about a top 10 list
Iverson Kobe Garnett and Miller over Chamberlain Robertson bird or magic?
you must be fucking kidding me dude. i think you started to see NBA basketball 10 years ago lol.
not only Kobe isnt on top10 the other 3 are not even in top20.
I saw another putting Kobe on top2 plz man try to be more objective. he has won 2 titles as the franchise player wich is great but with a great team. Along with no others starts he couldnt even make playoff olmost. He has played in the league for like 13 years thats mostly the reason he is breaking some records for the lackers. Dont get me wrong he is a great player im pretty sure he is in top20 in NBA and might be close to top10 but not in it at all
al - 13 years ago
for me dirk is one of the all time best players in the nba, no one is like dirk he got the body of a center can shoot like a guard and also drible the only thing that dirk needs its defense, and no matterr if he dnt win a ring he would be one of the best, ppl say duncan and kg are better but only because of their teams, mavs dnt have reat player only dirk and he's getting a little bit old
jg2290 - 13 years ago
You guys who rank bird so high are nuts. He was super overated, couldnt play D, only won 3 titles and was just a pure shooter. It goes like this
1. Jordan (for now)
2. Kobe
3. Magic
4. Wilt
5. Kareem
6. Oscar
7. Bird
8. Russell
9. Shaq
10. Duncan
Lance - 13 years ago
Top 10
1) Micheal Jordan
2) Bill Russel
3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4) Magic Johnson
5) Larry Bird
6) Wilt Chamberlain
7) Tim Duncan
8) Jerry West
9) Oscar Robertson
10) Shaquille O'Neal (T)
10) Hakeem Olajuwon (T)
10) Moses Malone (T)
Who on that list is worse than Dirk? Now, Dirk is good, but to be in this company you gotta be REAL good. Shaquille O'Neal averaged 10.9 RPG, Moses Malone 12.3, and Hakeem 11.1. How many does Dirk get per game? Drum roll please! .......... 8.4. Ok. How about blocks? He IS 7'0". He should average 1.5-2 right? That's managable for a 7 footer right? Nope. 1.0. His best was 2004/2005 season when he averaged 1.5. Oooo, he can shoot. Ooo he can play offense. Defense for a guy his size is sub par. He's not rebounding, he's not blocking shots. He's shooting. Top 10? No. Absolutely not. Top 20 - 30? Yeah. Top 20 for sure if he ins a ring.
On another note. GO MAVS!
DefenseWinsRings - 13 years ago
Dirk isn't even the best player in the league today, let alone top ten in history. I love Dirk and he is the closest thing there might be to un-guard-able, but like Steve Nash he can't be considered one of the best players in history simply because he can score. Dirk isn't very athletic and his defense is below average, that's just the way it is.
Dirk is a 7 footer playing the PF position... He's tall enough to be a natural C but have you ever seen him guard a truly gifted 4 or 5 like Stoudemire, Howard, Shaq, or Zack Randolph? No because he isn't athletic enough to play defense as well as he does on offense. Don't get me wrong, a STUPENDOUS player indeed, but there's no way he cracks top 10.
1. His Airness
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Hakeem Olajuwon
7. Tim Duncan
8. Kobe Bryant
9. Shaq
10. Bill Russell
Pack - 13 years ago
Probably not top 10 quite yet but very very close, and he WILL get it.....very soon. I thought since I first started watching him that he's going to be very potent well into his 30's, because his main weapon is shooting, which tends not to age as fast. Not to mention his size and ability to pop it over the top of ANYBODY. He also heals very quickly from injuries and doesn't get injured that often at all. Trust me, this guy's gonna be making all-star games and scoring 20 or more per game at the age of 38-BET THAT. (And his defense is not that bad at all, people just fall in love with saying it is)
LxS.Rensky - 13 years ago
badla - 1 hour ago
Can we climb down the abstraction ladder for a second?
My top ten list:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Bill Russell
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Oscar Robertson
10. Karl Malone
Someone please tell me someone on this list who Dirk should upend. It's actually ridiculous that a third of you guys have voted him already in the top ten.
The next five are more variable:
11.Hakeem Olajuwan
12. Moses Malone
13. Julius Irving
14. Tim Duncan
15. Bob Pettit
I don't think Dirk could upend any of these guys unless he has five more seasons like he's been having. No question he is better than Duncan this year, but comparing their career stats leans heavily toward Duncan for the time being.
Dirk might break the top twenty. But anyone who says that he should be in the top 10 is kidding himself.
(I TOTALLY AGREE WITH BADLA.. DIRK'S NOWHERE ON THE TOP 10 OR 15 LISTS AS OF NOW. .BUT WE'LL SEE IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS..)
mike - 13 years ago
i have never read so much biased crap in my life... Dirk, sorry you not top ten. no way, end of story. I could name possibly forty players i would put above him. Just cause he has game nobody else his size has ever had does not make him one of the greatest all time. He's inconsistent defensively. He is not as clutch as others you would rank above him. He's also 32, hes not gonna get any better just older. Although he prolly is gonna make another run to the finals this year where whoever makes it will probably lose to the winner of the Bos/Mia series.
mavsftw - 13 years ago
Dirk is a great player and a great person. His shooting ability is unique to say the least. He is also a great team player. We mavs fans owe a lot to him for staying in the team and leading us to the playoffs. I'm not sure if he should be in the top 10...all I know is that we want him to have a championship ring and for his skills to be recognized worldwide. I don't quite agree with judging a player's skills by the number of championships he has since you win that through teamwork. GO DIRK!!!! GO MAVS!!!
paul - 13 years ago
Some guy just told me that Dirk is the best of the best to play the game after Jordon. He said Dirk is unique player and Kobe is just poser no where near Jordon. Well all I told him was Dirk is unique because he shoots like handicapped. Just enjoy the moment as it took you guys 4 years to make this far. If you dont win championship this time you may not ever I mean never. Kobe is the best and Lakers are dynasty.
EL OSO - 13 years ago
@Cy Wow you say what???? Iverson, Miller, Erving, Garnett over Larry Bird, Chamberlain, Big O???? In spanish, TU ESTAS LOCO MI PANA!!!!!!
daylan - 13 years ago
maybe should have read badla, he/she pretty much said the same thing
CY - 13 years ago
Dirk is good but here some of the players that are really in the top ten:
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul Jabar
Bill Russell
Kobe Bryant
Shaq O'neal
Allen Iverson ( He would have won the 2001 Playoff if the referee wasn't biased
Reggie Miller ( no championship but the level of intensity he is playing during the course of his career )
Kevin Garnett
Julius Erving
Magic Johnson
daylan - 13 years ago
Dirk is very good, but better than Wilt, Kobe, Jordan, Pete Maravich, Shaq, Bron, Bill Russel, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabar(sp). better than those people? i don't think so. you could also throw in Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, Gary Peyton, Moses Malone. Dirk is prolly a top 10 Forward, not top 10 over all
Ryan 00025 - 13 years ago
i think it's either miami or boston will win a championship this year.
RYAN0025 - 13 years ago
Dirk is a great player especially in offense. However he is not great as KG or TD.
How dirk would be on the top then if Dwight is better to him.
i think players that would be listed in the top ten are player with more championship ring.
Chris - 13 years ago
All I can say is Dirk is a hell of a player and will win a ring this year Go Mavs!
Jonathon - 13 years ago
Orlando,
Your points are well taken. However, your failed to address how terrible Dirk is as a defender. If you are talking top ten scorers then Dirk is definitely in the discussion. Unfortunately, basketball is offense and defense and placing a player in the top ten who ranks as low as Dirk does defensively is not something I can do. Like I said, I like Dirk a lot. He's one of my top 5 players in the league now but I can't put him there when he's a defensive liability as often as he is. TD and KG play both ends and while they have declined offensively, as you correctly mentioned, they are still both twice or more the defender that Dirk is. In the end, that has to be taken into account. Do you agree with that?
badla - 13 years ago
Can we climb down the abstraction ladder for a second?
My top ten list:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Bill Russell
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Oscar Robertson
10. Karl Malone
Someone please tell me someone on this list who Dirk should upend. It's actually ridiculous that a third of you guys have voted him already in the top ten.
The next five are more variable:
11.Hakeem Olajuwan
12. Moses Malone
13. Julius Irving
14. Tim Duncan
15. Bob Pettit
I don't think Dirk could upend any of these guys unless he has five more seasons like he's been having. No question he is better than Duncan this year, but comparing their career stats leans heavily toward Duncan for the time being.
Dirk might break the top twenty. But anyone who says that he should be in the top 10 is kidding himself.
Orlando - 13 years ago
actually i take that back....i'll stay top 3 PF... karl malone in there as well
Matty - 13 years ago
Orlando, first of all, you might want to be more careful mentioning Kobe. People mention him in the top ten for his well-roundedness. While his shot may not be as consistent as Dirk's, his post up game and ability to take it to the rim allow him to be considered one of the most deadly offensive weapons in history. And you question his defensive abilities? He was just selected to the all-defensive team for a record tying 9th time.
As for KG, you compare his tenure with the Twolves to that of Kevin Love. If you are talking about his last few years, then yes I agree, but remember he won the MVP and led the Twolves to the best record in the West at one point with very little support (I think Wally Szerbiack was the next best on the team)
And Tim Duncan will always be considered above Dirk, anyone with half a brain knows that he is possibly the most fundamentally sound player in history on both sides of the floor.
es - 13 years ago
Orlando is absolutely correct.
Anyone who would disagree.
Should close their web browser immediately and go watch Dirk play rather than judge how many rings he has.
Orlando - 13 years ago
Jonathan, just like james ward, you must be joking when you would rank KG above dirk? KG? KG was good, but in a similar situation as dirk until he got to the celtics and they won 1 championship, on a team where he wasn't even the best player. Duncan and KG are only slightly older than Dirk, and they are pretty much garbage at this point in comparison to what they once were. Sure, KG had 1 good game so far this playoffs (Game 3 vs. the Heat), but since he got to boston his career has been in decline. Same thing with duncan, who can barely run at this point in his career. In terms of defense, I would say Dirk's ability to shoot is much more impressive than either Duncan's or KG's ability to play defense, especially since dirk is still a viable shooter/beast/all-star and improving his defense, and KG and duncan are shadows of themselves. Plus, we would all probably put Kobe on the top 10 list, and no one has ever said kobe is a "defensive genius" either.
Furthermore, Duncan and KG won rings on teams that had much better players than Dirk has ever gotten the chance to play with. Duncan started with David Robinson, and then had parker and ginobili to thank for helping him get rings, let alone all the great 3-point shooters that San Antonio brought in the years they won championships (Horry, Kerr, Bowen etc). KG in Minnesota never accomplished anything close to what Dirk has, he could not even dream of carrying his team to 11 straight 50+ win seasons, and most of the time he couldn't even get them out of the first round of the playoffs. KG on Minnesota was basically the same thing as Kevin Love will be in Minnesota: if the rest of the players are garbage and your the only superstar then you experience an inflation in stats. Dirk has carried his to 50+ win seasons without any great players around him, because as we all know steve nash was not a beast until he met Mike D'antoni.
Now that Dirk finally has a decent squad, we are finally appreciating how special his game truly is, how now only he can get any shot he wants whenever he wants, but how he demands double teams and gets great looks for the rest of his teammates. And when his teammates are good role players/shooters, as evidenced by this dismantling of the Lakers, Dirk's brilliance shines even more... Top 10 Player once he gets his ring, top 15 if he doesn't, quite possibly the 2nd best power forward of all time, after Larry Legend of course...
Jonathon - 13 years ago
Dirk is a great, great player. Top Ten of all time is a bit much though. Let's remember that there are two sides of the court and while Dirk is a monster on one end he is quite the opposite on the other. I have nothing but respect for Dirk and he is actually one of my favorite players. However, I still rank Duncan and Garnett ahead of him because of their defensive prowess over they years. Nothing wrong with being ranked behind TD and KG though.
Anthony - 13 years ago
How could you not consider even putting Dirk in the top 10 of ALL TIME. All the other 7 footers don't put up the numbers Dirk does. Tell me when the last time you saw that on a regular basis?
Flash - 13 years ago
Last comment is a JOKE! He's by far one of the greatest of all times. Dirk is pretty much unguardable. And if you compare him to the other Power Forwards, then take a closer look on KG, TD, Bird and the crew at the age of 33. Dirk leads them easily. He developed the game so much. There is/was never a 7-footer with such an shooting ability. Nowitzki is a WAY BETTER shooter than Kobe or Bron - besides the fact he has a great shot selection. Furthermore Dirk is a great leader and person. Unselfish, MVP-like and super loyal.
Top 10 of all times? Probably not at all, cause of his lack on defense and the missing ring. So far at least Top 20, if not 15. If he gets the ring, then he's should be Top 10.
james ward - 13 years ago
You are wrong to exclude George Mikan's Lakers as having a run (5 championships in 6 years) from the group of Russell, Jordan and Johnson.
Nowitzki MAY (emphasis on MAY) be recognized as one of the top ten power forwards of all time, but, if so, he would still be close to the bottom of that list. Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett of the current era rank higher.
Rightcha are - 13 years ago
I AGREE FULLY WITH YOU ^
Paul Whalen
paul whalen - 13 years ago
i think its funny to to see people voting that Dirk shouldnt be on the top ten list just because he only has 1 MVP and no championships..the same people would easily vote Lebron into the top ten...HATERS
Now Dirk is one of the top ten players of all time, Because? HE IS A LEAGUE MVP, A FINALS MVP, AND A CHAMP!!!! So that just proves it for everyone who said that "he will never win a ring so he can't be a top ten of all time". He is my favorite player of all time, Dirk deserves it.
Yes, he belongs in the top 10 list! I have seen them all: Cousy, Chamberlain, Russel, Jordan Bird, West, Oscar, Alcindor, Havlicek, Julius, Frazier, Earl, Isahias, etc., Every one of these great players that won championships, had a complete team with great coaching supporting them. They didn't accomplised it by themselve. Perhaps Dirk, at this moment of his career, has that complete team that will enable him to get that missing ring! But this will not add or improved him as a basketball players, this will only add to the achievements he already have attained through his basketball carreer!
mmm lots of Mavs fans apparently voting.
But I guess its fair since the poll is about "your" top ten so if you've only been alive 20 years and watching the NBA for half of that, you never really saw Jordan play, or Malone, or Russell. I can say that I did not watch them play simply because I didn't get their games very often. That and pre-HD basketball was horrendous to watch on TV.
So "your" top-ten should only have players you actually saw play, or have vast knowledge about since you studied their game. I'm sure everybody knows Jordan and them were dominant, but its harder to compare their game with say Dirk because you didn't see them play in the same situation. Heck Jordan is too new, lets say Larry Bird vs. Dirk. Obviously someone watching Dirk is going to say "he's way better" but you aren't taking into account the difference in defenses, age, rule changes, size, supporting cast, coaching, etc. Career numbers really aren't an accurate comparison, for example I don't know how many foul shots Dirk averages but probably higher than the old days, with all the ridiculous touch fouls and shenanigans going on today. Swing-through anybody? Punch Dirk in the ribs a few times when he's going for a rebound and throw a few elbows into his face and see how well he shoots after that.
Just sayin'
Y'all should say "My top ten list is ..... and I am ... years old and have watched the NBA for ... years." See that explains your list in and of itself.
I agree that there's no way Dirk is in the top 10 at the moment (and probably not ever), but it's very hard to judge what we're trying to decide is "Top 10" material. There's no doubt that Dirk is a uniquely special talent that the NBA has not seen the likes of until now, and his influence to the NBA scene is as great as many of the great players, due to him coming from overseas.
P.S. For those who try to make valid points, it is so hard to take you seriously when you horribly misspell a player's name.
Are you kidding?!?! Dirk isn't top ten today let alone in history. Here are the league's best... Kobe Bryant, Labron James, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Derek Rose, Manu Ginobli, Ray Allen, Chris Paul, Chris Bosch & Paul Pierce.
Answer this... If Dirk were 6'6" would he even be in the league? NO!!!
Lebron and others don't show up the way Dirk has in the playoffs. Avg 25 pts & 10 reb in the playoffs. Who else has done that? He already passed Larry Bird in scoring and Tim Duncan. Go look up his clutch shooting to win games when there is 10 secs or less. top 25 yes. top 15 yes. top 10? maybe with 22,792 pts & 4 years left averaging 20 pts per game he should be top 5 all-time scoring.
People should also consider Dirk's impact as an International player. If you'd consider what he has brought to the NBA as an international player, I'd say he cracks the top ten.
People should also consider Dirk's impact as an International player. If you'd consider what he has brought to the NBA as an international player, I'd day he cracks the top ten.
Dirk it's surely one of the top ten players of all time! The only thing that dosen't make him better than Larry Bird is a ring. He diserves it, he is one of the most constant player in this era and has the best stroke in his game right now, and ever. None has the ability of shooting the ball 14 feet in the air like that and make shots like he does, being a seven footer, he is a very unique player in his game and those type of players are the ones who make it to the top ten list. He's the best international player of all time, so he needs to be on the top ten...period.
-jg2209-
larry bird could play some D
he made all defensive teams early in his career.
as for dirk, he is top 30, maybe 25-15 if he wins a title which im afraid he wont
There are obviously a lot of Mavs fans voting here. But there is no way that Dirk is top ten of all time. Maybe top 25, and if he wins a ring this year he could move up into the top 20, maybe. If he continues to be as good as he has been this year, then breaking into the top 15 may be possible, though not at all likely. But it would be extremely hard to break into the top ten unless he has some pretty fantastic years ahead of him, like, say, multiple rings and better stats than he puts up now.
Dirk is obviously a top ten PF. But here's the thing, there are at least six other PFs that could be reasonably argued to rank ahead of him: Tim Duncan, Karl Malone, Charles Barkley, Elvin Hayes, Bob Pettit, and Kevin Garnett. So if he's only the 6th or 7th best PF, then there is no possible way that he is top 10 over all. Especially, given that of the above names, Tim Duncan and Karl Malone are the only two that possibly could crack the top ten overall, and that's pretty iffy for both of them.
So, is Dirk top 25? maybe.
Top 20? not yet, but a possibility.
Top 15? no, and likely never.
Top 10? definitely not.
Who donlt like Dirk,please stop writing here.He is the best player in NBA.Go Mavs
Kosovo is Serbia!
Dirk is Killing it ATM- therefore this conversation is a bit biased, we should have this arguement when their careers are over and done.
it's not accurate to gauge all of them together because they are not in the same ERA, imo.
why is MJ the no.1? simple, he outshined all the great player in his ERA. same for Wilt, Kareem, Magic, Bird, Jerry West and Oscar. These guys of course have supporting casts but their presence is larger than life.
As for the rest, I'm not even sure if they are greater than the other and also some of them are 2-man players when they dominated the game (i.e. stockton&malone, duncan&david, hakeem&drexler, shaq&kobe). KG is good but his wolves were not that competitive. Dirk on the other hand proved consistency but always short of getting a ring. so I would say, we are just overhyped this season, lets see if he can get a ring and lets reconsider.
C'mon guys . . Dirk is a great player, but to be an elite and a greatest player of all times is too much. In my opinion , as of this time he just might need that ring . It is the mirror of greatness, honor & fulfillment ( Beating all of the guys particularly the "big three" of Miami in a championship game deserves all the accolades worldwide ) .
I am a big fan of Dirk. I want him to be at the top of the best player ever ofcourse, but as a fan I do witness Dirk flaws, I think dirk need to display much hassle on defense, he should move without the ball and maybe share the ball wisely. I can't wait to see Mr. Dirk Nowitzki posting up a triple double. You can do it Mr. Dirk. Go and Get that ring!!
No for me Dirk isnt in top10 he is great and amazing but there is 10 players better than him in the history of basketball.
And i saw a comment around there about a top 10 list
Iverson Kobe Garnett and Miller over Chamberlain Robertson bird or magic?
you must be fucking kidding me dude. i think you started to see NBA basketball 10 years ago lol.
not only Kobe isnt on top10 the other 3 are not even in top20.
I saw another putting Kobe on top2 plz man try to be more objective. he has won 2 titles as the franchise player wich is great but with a great team. Along with no others starts he couldnt even make playoff olmost. He has played in the league for like 13 years thats mostly the reason he is breaking some records for the lackers. Dont get me wrong he is a great player im pretty sure he is in top20 in NBA and might be close to top10 but not in it at all
for me dirk is one of the all time best players in the nba, no one is like dirk he got the body of a center can shoot like a guard and also drible the only thing that dirk needs its defense, and no matterr if he dnt win a ring he would be one of the best, ppl say duncan and kg are better but only because of their teams, mavs dnt have reat player only dirk and he's getting a little bit old
You guys who rank bird so high are nuts. He was super overated, couldnt play D, only won 3 titles and was just a pure shooter. It goes like this
1. Jordan (for now)
2. Kobe
3. Magic
4. Wilt
5. Kareem
6. Oscar
7. Bird
8. Russell
9. Shaq
10. Duncan
Top 10
1) Micheal Jordan
2) Bill Russel
3) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
4) Magic Johnson
5) Larry Bird
6) Wilt Chamberlain
7) Tim Duncan
8) Jerry West
9) Oscar Robertson
10) Shaquille O'Neal (T)
10) Hakeem Olajuwon (T)
10) Moses Malone (T)
Who on that list is worse than Dirk? Now, Dirk is good, but to be in this company you gotta be REAL good. Shaquille O'Neal averaged 10.9 RPG, Moses Malone 12.3, and Hakeem 11.1. How many does Dirk get per game? Drum roll please! .......... 8.4. Ok. How about blocks? He IS 7'0". He should average 1.5-2 right? That's managable for a 7 footer right? Nope. 1.0. His best was 2004/2005 season when he averaged 1.5. Oooo, he can shoot. Ooo he can play offense. Defense for a guy his size is sub par. He's not rebounding, he's not blocking shots. He's shooting. Top 10? No. Absolutely not. Top 20 - 30? Yeah. Top 20 for sure if he ins a ring.
On another note. GO MAVS!
Dirk isn't even the best player in the league today, let alone top ten in history. I love Dirk and he is the closest thing there might be to un-guard-able, but like Steve Nash he can't be considered one of the best players in history simply because he can score. Dirk isn't very athletic and his defense is below average, that's just the way it is.
Dirk is a 7 footer playing the PF position... He's tall enough to be a natural C but have you ever seen him guard a truly gifted 4 or 5 like Stoudemire, Howard, Shaq, or Zack Randolph? No because he isn't athletic enough to play defense as well as he does on offense. Don't get me wrong, a STUPENDOUS player indeed, but there's no way he cracks top 10.
1. His Airness
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Hakeem Olajuwon
7. Tim Duncan
8. Kobe Bryant
9. Shaq
10. Bill Russell
Probably not top 10 quite yet but very very close, and he WILL get it.....very soon. I thought since I first started watching him that he's going to be very potent well into his 30's, because his main weapon is shooting, which tends not to age as fast. Not to mention his size and ability to pop it over the top of ANYBODY. He also heals very quickly from injuries and doesn't get injured that often at all. Trust me, this guy's gonna be making all-star games and scoring 20 or more per game at the age of 38-BET THAT. (And his defense is not that bad at all, people just fall in love with saying it is)
badla - 1 hour ago
Can we climb down the abstraction ladder for a second?
My top ten list:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Bill Russell
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Oscar Robertson
10. Karl Malone
Someone please tell me someone on this list who Dirk should upend. It's actually ridiculous that a third of you guys have voted him already in the top ten.
The next five are more variable:
11.Hakeem Olajuwan
12. Moses Malone
13. Julius Irving
14. Tim Duncan
15. Bob Pettit
I don't think Dirk could upend any of these guys unless he has five more seasons like he's been having. No question he is better than Duncan this year, but comparing their career stats leans heavily toward Duncan for the time being.
Dirk might break the top twenty. But anyone who says that he should be in the top 10 is kidding himself.
(I TOTALLY AGREE WITH BADLA.. DIRK'S NOWHERE ON THE TOP 10 OR 15 LISTS AS OF NOW. .BUT WE'LL SEE IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS..)
i have never read so much biased crap in my life... Dirk, sorry you not top ten. no way, end of story. I could name possibly forty players i would put above him. Just cause he has game nobody else his size has ever had does not make him one of the greatest all time. He's inconsistent defensively. He is not as clutch as others you would rank above him. He's also 32, hes not gonna get any better just older. Although he prolly is gonna make another run to the finals this year where whoever makes it will probably lose to the winner of the Bos/Mia series.
Dirk is a great player and a great person. His shooting ability is unique to say the least. He is also a great team player. We mavs fans owe a lot to him for staying in the team and leading us to the playoffs. I'm not sure if he should be in the top 10...all I know is that we want him to have a championship ring and for his skills to be recognized worldwide. I don't quite agree with judging a player's skills by the number of championships he has since you win that through teamwork. GO DIRK!!!! GO MAVS!!!
Some guy just told me that Dirk is the best of the best to play the game after Jordon. He said Dirk is unique player and Kobe is just poser no where near Jordon. Well all I told him was Dirk is unique because he shoots like handicapped. Just enjoy the moment as it took you guys 4 years to make this far. If you dont win championship this time you may not ever I mean never. Kobe is the best and Lakers are dynasty.
@Cy Wow you say what???? Iverson, Miller, Erving, Garnett over Larry Bird, Chamberlain, Big O???? In spanish, TU ESTAS LOCO MI PANA!!!!!!
maybe should have read badla, he/she pretty much said the same thing
Dirk is good but here some of the players that are really in the top ten:
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul Jabar
Bill Russell
Kobe Bryant
Shaq O'neal
Allen Iverson ( He would have won the 2001 Playoff if the referee wasn't biased
Reggie Miller ( no championship but the level of intensity he is playing during the course of his career )
Kevin Garnett
Julius Erving
Magic Johnson
Dirk is very good, but better than Wilt, Kobe, Jordan, Pete Maravich, Shaq, Bron, Bill Russel, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabar(sp). better than those people? i don't think so. you could also throw in Tim Duncan, Jason Kidd, Isiah Thomas, Gary Peyton, Moses Malone. Dirk is prolly a top 10 Forward, not top 10 over all
i think it's either miami or boston will win a championship this year.
Dirk is a great player especially in offense. However he is not great as KG or TD.
How dirk would be on the top then if Dwight is better to him.
i think players that would be listed in the top ten are player with more championship ring.
All I can say is Dirk is a hell of a player and will win a ring this year Go Mavs!
Orlando,
Your points are well taken. However, your failed to address how terrible Dirk is as a defender. If you are talking top ten scorers then Dirk is definitely in the discussion. Unfortunately, basketball is offense and defense and placing a player in the top ten who ranks as low as Dirk does defensively is not something I can do. Like I said, I like Dirk a lot. He's one of my top 5 players in the league now but I can't put him there when he's a defensive liability as often as he is. TD and KG play both ends and while they have declined offensively, as you correctly mentioned, they are still both twice or more the defender that Dirk is. In the end, that has to be taken into account. Do you agree with that?
Can we climb down the abstraction ladder for a second?
My top ten list:
1. Michael Jordan
2. Kareem Abdul Jabbar
3. Larry Bird
4. Magic Johnson
5. Wilt Chamberlain
6. Kobe Bryant
7. Bill Russell
8. Shaquille O'Neal
9. Oscar Robertson
10. Karl Malone
Someone please tell me someone on this list who Dirk should upend. It's actually ridiculous that a third of you guys have voted him already in the top ten.
The next five are more variable:
11.Hakeem Olajuwan
12. Moses Malone
13. Julius Irving
14. Tim Duncan
15. Bob Pettit
I don't think Dirk could upend any of these guys unless he has five more seasons like he's been having. No question he is better than Duncan this year, but comparing their career stats leans heavily toward Duncan for the time being.
Dirk might break the top twenty. But anyone who says that he should be in the top 10 is kidding himself.
actually i take that back....i'll stay top 3 PF... karl malone in there as well
Orlando, first of all, you might want to be more careful mentioning Kobe. People mention him in the top ten for his well-roundedness. While his shot may not be as consistent as Dirk's, his post up game and ability to take it to the rim allow him to be considered one of the most deadly offensive weapons in history. And you question his defensive abilities? He was just selected to the all-defensive team for a record tying 9th time.
As for KG, you compare his tenure with the Twolves to that of Kevin Love. If you are talking about his last few years, then yes I agree, but remember he won the MVP and led the Twolves to the best record in the West at one point with very little support (I think Wally Szerbiack was the next best on the team)
And Tim Duncan will always be considered above Dirk, anyone with half a brain knows that he is possibly the most fundamentally sound player in history on both sides of the floor.
Orlando is absolutely correct.
Anyone who would disagree.
Should close their web browser immediately and go watch Dirk play rather than judge how many rings he has.
Jonathan, just like james ward, you must be joking when you would rank KG above dirk? KG? KG was good, but in a similar situation as dirk until he got to the celtics and they won 1 championship, on a team where he wasn't even the best player. Duncan and KG are only slightly older than Dirk, and they are pretty much garbage at this point in comparison to what they once were. Sure, KG had 1 good game so far this playoffs (Game 3 vs. the Heat), but since he got to boston his career has been in decline. Same thing with duncan, who can barely run at this point in his career. In terms of defense, I would say Dirk's ability to shoot is much more impressive than either Duncan's or KG's ability to play defense, especially since dirk is still a viable shooter/beast/all-star and improving his defense, and KG and duncan are shadows of themselves. Plus, we would all probably put Kobe on the top 10 list, and no one has ever said kobe is a "defensive genius" either.
Furthermore, Duncan and KG won rings on teams that had much better players than Dirk has ever gotten the chance to play with. Duncan started with David Robinson, and then had parker and ginobili to thank for helping him get rings, let alone all the great 3-point shooters that San Antonio brought in the years they won championships (Horry, Kerr, Bowen etc). KG in Minnesota never accomplished anything close to what Dirk has, he could not even dream of carrying his team to 11 straight 50+ win seasons, and most of the time he couldn't even get them out of the first round of the playoffs. KG on Minnesota was basically the same thing as Kevin Love will be in Minnesota: if the rest of the players are garbage and your the only superstar then you experience an inflation in stats. Dirk has carried his to 50+ win seasons without any great players around him, because as we all know steve nash was not a beast until he met Mike D'antoni.
Now that Dirk finally has a decent squad, we are finally appreciating how special his game truly is, how now only he can get any shot he wants whenever he wants, but how he demands double teams and gets great looks for the rest of his teammates. And when his teammates are good role players/shooters, as evidenced by this dismantling of the Lakers, Dirk's brilliance shines even more... Top 10 Player once he gets his ring, top 15 if he doesn't, quite possibly the 2nd best power forward of all time, after Larry Legend of course...
Dirk is a great, great player. Top Ten of all time is a bit much though. Let's remember that there are two sides of the court and while Dirk is a monster on one end he is quite the opposite on the other. I have nothing but respect for Dirk and he is actually one of my favorite players. However, I still rank Duncan and Garnett ahead of him because of their defensive prowess over they years. Nothing wrong with being ranked behind TD and KG though.
How could you not consider even putting Dirk in the top 10 of ALL TIME. All the other 7 footers don't put up the numbers Dirk does. Tell me when the last time you saw that on a regular basis?
Last comment is a JOKE! He's by far one of the greatest of all times. Dirk is pretty much unguardable. And if you compare him to the other Power Forwards, then take a closer look on KG, TD, Bird and the crew at the age of 33. Dirk leads them easily. He developed the game so much. There is/was never a 7-footer with such an shooting ability. Nowitzki is a WAY BETTER shooter than Kobe or Bron - besides the fact he has a great shot selection. Furthermore Dirk is a great leader and person. Unselfish, MVP-like and super loyal.
Top 10 of all times? Probably not at all, cause of his lack on defense and the missing ring. So far at least Top 20, if not 15. If he gets the ring, then he's should be Top 10.
You are wrong to exclude George Mikan's Lakers as having a run (5 championships in 6 years) from the group of Russell, Jordan and Johnson.
Nowitzki MAY (emphasis on MAY) be recognized as one of the top ten power forwards of all time, but, if so, he would still be close to the bottom of that list. Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett of the current era rank higher.
I AGREE FULLY WITH YOU ^
Paul Whalen
i think its funny to to see people voting that Dirk shouldnt be on the top ten list just because he only has 1 MVP and no championships..the same people would easily vote Lebron into the top ten...HATERS