Dirk Reveals "Favorite" Player in NBA 75 Interview

Social media platform Twitter hosts Twitter Spaces featuring Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.

NBA opening night, as always, occurs in star-studded fashion. However, this year had a bit more hype as the NBA advertised the 2021-2022 season as its 75th anniversary year. To honor the 75th season, the NBA formulated a top-76 list (due to a tie) consisting of modern and past eras players. 

Following his Dallas Mavericks' 2011 NBA championship victory over the Miami Heat, Dirk Nowitzki solidified his position as an all-time great. Despite his stature in the league, the former MVP claimed on a recent chat in Twitter Spaces that he didn’t know he was selected until TNT announced it Tuesday evening. 

Listen in to @swish41 talk about the 75th Anniversary Team selections with @StephanieReady, @MarcJSpears and @Powell2daPeople! #NBA75 https://t.co/ppEDkmm2dK

— NBA (@NBA) October 22, 2021

Sitting sixth in points scored in NBA history, Nowitzki trails only a handful of NBA legends and Hall-of-Fame players. Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Karl Malone, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar lead the category. 

Nowitzki, a man of admiration and respect for the NBA’s past and present, said Brooklyn Nets' superstar Kevin Durant’s spot on the list is a “no-brainer”. The 2011 Finals MVP went on to compliment Durant’s practice habits. 

Although never known for his dunks, that doesn’t mean Nowitzki can’t appreciate them. He stated former Mavs teammate Vince Carter is his favorite dunker of all time. Carter is one of the most notable omissions from the top-76 list.

As the theme of this Twitter Spaces was to appreciate the NBA’s past and present, honoring Bryant was inevitable. Nowitzki marveled at how Bryant outscored the Mavericks 62-61 after three quarters in 2005.

“He was my favorite,” Nowitzki claimed with an admiring and somewhat somber tone. 

Nowitzki continues to represent the Mavericks and the NBA at large as a respectful ambassador.