Dirk Nowitzki Speaks on Evolution of NBA Big Man: 'The Game Has Changed’

The game of basketball has transformed over Dirk Nowitzki's lifetime, but for the big man position specifically, the Dallas Mavericks legend is at the forefront of the evolution.

First Ballot Hall of Fame player and Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki knows all too well what it takes to be a talented big man in the NBA. For someone who help transcend the game with his ability to shoot at his size, Nowitzki's signature one-legged fadeaway has taken the league by storm.

Nowitzki was in Manila, Philippines recently for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw, as he served his duties as Chairman of the FIBA Players' Commission and FIBA Central Board member.

Nowitzki spoke with FIBA.basketball to discuss the FIBA World Cup, Victor Wembanyama's potential, and the evolution of basketball, specifically for the big men.

"The game has changed," Nowitzki said. "When I came in, there were a lot of 4s (power forwards) and 5s (centers) close to the basket, rebounding and muscling, and then I was part of the change, the early 2000s, when the game became more of a movement game again, less holding, less fouling."

Comparing today's game to when Nowitzki entered the league in 1998, the game is much faster and reliant on spacing, as the focus of the true post-up big man has all but dissipated into the abyss. As the game began to shift, some rule changes to eliminate some of the physicality helped Nowitzki feel more comfortable and effective.

"They got rid of the hand checks in the NBA and that really helped me and all the European skilled big men," Nowitzki said. "They could play facing the basket, they could shoot, bring the ball up. And I think that's something that we've seen the last 20 years, the big men getting more and more skilled."

Looking at the current NBA, you have big men like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, and Nikola Jokic who are as skilled as any player in the entire league and hold the last five regular season MVP awards.

Was Nowitzki as skilled as those three superstars? Probably not, and that's no shot to The Big German; that's just how far the game has evolved in a relatively short timeframe. But, without Nowitzki, the evolution of the big man position wouldn't have come half as far as where it is today.

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