Dirk Nowitzki's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Dirk Nowitzki.

Dirk Nowitzki is a retired German professional basketball player, currently a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks. Standing at 7 feet tall, he's celebrated as one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history and often regarded as the best European player ever. Nowitzki's accolades include being named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2023.

Sections (5)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Legacy & Impact

2000: Named to the FIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team

In 2000, Nowitzki was named to the FIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team.

2000: All-NBA Third Team Selection

In the 2000-01 NBA season, Dirk Nowitzki improved his averages and was voted into the All-NBA Third Team, marking the first time a Maverick received this honor. This success alongside best friend Steve Nash and Michael Finley led to the trio being nicknamed the "Big Three" of the Mavericks.

2001: EuroBasket 2001

In 2001, during EuroBasket, Dirk Nowitzki was top scorer with 28.7 points per game, and narrowly lost the MVP vote to Peja Stojaković. Germany reached the semi-finals. Nowitzki led the tournament in both points and rebounds and was voted to the All-Star team.

November 2002: Western Conference Players of the Month

In November 2002, Finley, Nash, and Nowitzki were voted "Western Conference Players of the Month" after the Mavericks won their first fourteen games.

2002: Bronze Medal in FIBA World Championship

In 2002, Dirk Nowitzki led Germany to a bronze medal in the FIBA World Championship. Nowitzki, as the tournament's top scorer, was elected the tournament MVP.

2002: FIBA World Championship Bronze Medal

In 2002, Dirk Nowitzki led the Germany national team to a bronze medal at the FIBA World Championship, where he was also the leading scorer and MVP.

2002: Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year

In 2002, Nowitzki was named the Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year by Gazzetta dello Sport.

2002: Leading scorer and MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Championship

In 2002, Nowitzki was the leading scorer and MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

2003: Mavericks reach Western Conference Finals

In 2003, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to a franchise-high 60-22 record. They defeated the Portland Trail Blazers and Sacramento Kings in the playoffs before losing to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals after Nowitzki was injured.

December 2, 2004: Career-high 53 points

On December 2, 2004, Nowitzki scored a career-best 53 points in an overtime win against the Houston Rockets.

2004: Nowitzki finishes third in MVP voting

In the 2004-05 season, Nowitzki finished third in the league's MVP voting, behind Nash and Shaquille O'Neal.

2005: Silver Medal at EuroBasket

In 2005, Dirk Nowitzki led a depleted German squad into the EuroBasket Finals, eventually losing to Greece but earning a silver medal. Nowitzki was the tournament's leading scorer, second-leading rebounder and shot blocker, and was voted the Most Valuable Player.

2005: EuroBasket Silver Medal

In 2005, Nowitzki led the Germany national team to a silver medal in EuroBasket, and was also the leading scorer and MVP of the tournament.

2005: Mister Europa European Player of the Year and FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year

In 2005, Nowitzki was named the Mister Europa European Player of the Year by Superbasket and the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year.

2005: MVP of the EuroBasket 2005 tournament

In 2005, Nowitzki was the MVP of the EuroBasket 2005 tournament.

2006: Three-Point Contest Champion

During the 2006 All-Star Weekend in Houston, Nowitzki won the Three-Point Contest.

2006: Mavericks' First NBA Finals Appearance

In 2006, Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their first NBA Finals appearance.

2006: Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year

In 2006, Nowitzki was named the Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year by Gazzetta dello Sport.

2006: Won the 2006 NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest

In 2006, Nowitzki won the NBA All-Star Three-Point Contest. In the 2006–07 season, Nowitzki became only the fifth member of the NBA's 50–40–90 Club.

2006: Won the 2006 Three-Point Contest

In 2006, Nowitzki won the Three-Point Contest.

2006: Nowitzki joins 50-40-90 club

In the 2006-07 season, Nowitzki made the 50-40-90 club.

2007: NBA Most Valuable Player Award

In 2007, Dirk Nowitzki won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award, recognizing his outstanding performance during the season.

2007: Named NBA's regular-season MVP

In 2007, Nowitzki was named the NBA's regular-season Most Valuable Player, becoming the first European player to receive the honor. However, the Mavericks lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.

February 6, 2008: First career triple-double

On February 6, 2008, Nowitzki recorded his first career triple-double against the Milwaukee Bucks, with 29 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 12 assists.

March 8, 2008: Mavericks' all-time career points leader

On March 8, 2008, Nowitzki surpassed Rolando Blackman to become the Mavericks' all-time career points leader, scoring his 16,644th point against the New Jersey Nets.

2008: 2008 Olympics

In 2008, Nowitzki led Germany into a decisive match against Puerto Rico for the last remaining slot and he scored a game-high 32 points, securing a 96–82 win. Nowitzki was chosen to be the flag bearer for the German Olympic Team at the Opening Ceremony for the 2008 Olympics. Nowitzki led the German team to a tenth-place finish, and averaged 17.0 points and 8.4 rebounds for the tournament.

January 13, 2010: 20,000-point milestone

On January 13, 2010, Nowitzki became the 34th player in NBA history—and the first European—to hit the 20,000-point milestone.

2010: Nowitzki selected to the All-Star Game for the tenth time

Prior to the 2010-11 season, the Mavericks traded for center Tyson Chandler. In 2010, Nowitzki was selected to the All-Star Game for the tenth time, despite missing nine games.

2011: NBA Championship and Finals MVP

In 2011, Dirk Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their only NBA championship and was awarded the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.

2011: Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year and FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year

In 2011, Nowitzki was named the Euroscar European Basketball Player of the Year by Gazzetta dello Sport and the FIBA Europe Men's Player of the Year.

2011: MVP of the 2011 NBA Finals

In 2011, Nowitzki was voted MVP of the 2011 NBA Finals.

2011: NBA Finals against Miami Heat

In 2011, the Dallas Mavericks faced the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals. During Game 1, Dirk Nowitzki tore a tendon in his left middle finger, but he played through the injury. Despite carrying a 101 °F fever in Game 4, he made the winning basket to tie the series, eventually leading Dallas to win their first championship. He was named NBA Finals Most Valuable Player.

December 10, 2012: Naismith Legacy Award

On December 10, 2012, Dirk Nowitzki became the first non-American player to receive the Naismith Legacy Award, acknowledging his contributions to basketball.

April 14, 2013: Nowitzki Scores 25,000th Point and Mavericks reach .500

On April 14, 2013, in a game against the New Orleans Hornets, Dirk Nowitzki scored his 25,000th point, becoming the 17th player in NBA history to reach this milestone. The Mavericks won the game and climbed back to .500, leading Nowitzki to shave his beard. However, the Mavericks missed the playoffs, ending their 12-year streak.

January 2014: Last 40-point game until 2015

Dirk Nowitzki had his last 40-point game in January 2014, prior to setting a new season high with 40 points in March 2015.

January 29, 2014: Nowitzki Scores 26,000th Point

On January 29, 2014, Dirk Nowitzki scored his 26,000th point in a game against the Houston Rockets, recording 38 points, 17 rebounds, and 3 assists.

March 12, 2014: Nowitzki Passes Havlicek on Scoring List

On March 12, 2014, Dirk Nowitzki passed John Havlicek on the NBA scoring list, finishing the game with 31 points for a total of 26,426 points in a victory over the Utah Jazz.

April 8, 2014: Nowitzki Passes Oscar Robertson on Scoring List

On April 8, 2014, Dirk Nowitzki scored his 26,712th point, surpassing Oscar Robertson to move to the 10th position on the NBA all-time scoring list. He led the Mavericks back to the playoffs, where they faced the San Antonio Spurs in the first round but lost the series in seven games.

November 11, 2014: Nowitzki Surpasses Olajuwon as Highest-Scoring International Player

On November 11, 2014, Dirk Nowitzki scored 23 points to surpass Hakeem Olajuwon as the highest-scoring player born outside the United States, totaling 26,953 career points in a game where the Mavericks defeated Sacramento, 106–98.

January 5, 2015: Nowitzki Passes Moses Malone on All-Time Scoring List

On January 5, 2015, Dirk Nowitzki passed Moses Malone for seventh place on the NBA's all-time scoring list in a 96–88 overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets.

November 11, 2015: Nowitzki passes Shawn Marion on Rebounding List

On November 11, 2015, Dirk Nowitzki scored a season-high 31 points in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers. He also grabbed a team-high 11 rebounds and passed former teammate Shawn Marion for 15th on the all-time career rebounding list.

March 7, 2017: Nowitzki Reaches 30,000 Career Points

On March 7, 2017, in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, Dirk Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to score 30,000 regular-season points. He also became the first international player to reach the milestone and one of only three to score all 30,000-plus with one team.

2017: Won the 2017 NBA Teammate of the Year award

In 2017, Nowitzki won the NBA Teammate of the Year award.

February 5, 2018: Nowitzki Reaches 50,000 Career Minutes

On February 5, 2018, in a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers, Dirk Nowitzki became the sixth player in NBA history to reach 50,000 career minutes.

February 28, 2018: Nowitzki Reaches 31,000 Career Points

On February 28, 2018, Dirk Nowitzki reached 31,000 career points in a loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

March 17, 2018: Nowitzki Moves to Fifth Place on NBA Career Games List

On March 17, 2018, Dirk Nowitzki played in his 1,463rd game, moving past Kevin Garnett into fifth place on the NBA career games list.

December 13, 2018: Nowitzki Sets NBA Record for Most Seasons with One Team

On December 13, 2018, Dirk Nowitzki made his season debut, setting the NBA record for the most seasons played with the same team (21), tying an NBA record.

March 18, 2019: Nowitzki Surpasses Wilt Chamberlain on All-Time Scoring List

On March 18, 2019, Dirk Nowitzki became the sixth-highest scoring player of all time, surpassing Wilt Chamberlain's 31,419 points in a loss to the New Orleans Pelicans.

December 2019: Received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

In December 2019, Nowitzki received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany from Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, in recognition of his social commitment.

2020: Named to the FIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team

In 2020, Nowitzki was named to the FIBA EuroBasket 2000–2020 Dream Team.

2021: Selection to NBA 75th Anniversary Team

In 2021, Dirk Nowitzki was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, recognizing his significant contributions to the sport.

January 5, 2022: Mavericks Retired Number 41 and Announced Statue

On January 5, 2022, Nowitzki's number 41 was retired by the Mavericks, and Mark Cuban unveiled the design for a statue of Nowitzki to be installed outside the American Airlines Center in Dallas. The statue was unveiled on Christmas Day later that year.

September 2022: Number Retirement

In September 2022, Dirk Nowitzki became the first German men's player to have his number retired, marking a significant honor in his career.

September 2022: Jersey Retirement by the German Basketball Federation

In September 2022, the German Basketball Federation (DBB) honored Nowitzki with a jersey (number 14) retirement ahead of EuroBasket 2022. The ceremony was held on September 2, immediately before Germany's EuroBasket opening game against France in Cologne, Germany. DBB also announced that a replica of Nowitzki's national team jersey would hang from the arena rafters at all future Germany men's home games.

2022: Ranked as the 21st Greatest Player in NBA History

In 2022, to commemorate the NBA's 75th Anniversary, The Athletic ranked their top 75 players of all time, and named Nowitzki as the 21st greatest player in NBA history.