Fansided

NBA: 2000s All-Decade second team

By Gerald Bourguet

Nov 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots as Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) looks on during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 15, 2013; Miami, FL, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) shoots as Miami Heat shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) looks on during the first quarter at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 2, 2014; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) yells to the fans during the first half against the San Antonio Spurs in game six of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

Second Team: F – Dirk Nowitzki:

2000s Resume: 10 seasons, one NBA Finals appearance, one regular season MVP award, four-time All-NBA First Team, three-time All-NBA Second Team, two-time All-NBA Third Team, one-time 50-40-90 club member, eight-time NBA All-Star, 23.6 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 2.8 APG, 24.2 average PER

Dirk Nowitzki didn’t break through and win an NBA title until 2011, but he led his Dallas Mavericks to nine straight playoff appearances in the decade and once he figured out his niche on the court, he became unstoppable. After all, how many other seven-footers in NBA history could beat you both from three-point territory and in the paint? The big German was soft and clumsy his first couple of seasons in the league, but he put in the work to improve his rebounding and quickly became one of the most versatile bigs in the league.

During the 2006-07 season, Dirk captured his regular season MVP award and joined the prestigious 50-40-90 club while averaging 24.6 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game. The top-seeded Mavs were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the “We Believe” Golden State Warriors that year, which was a huge disappointment coming off the team’s meltdown in the NBA Finals the year before. But Dirk’s excellence throughout the decade was unquestionable, even if there were questions about his ability to bust through that championship barrier.

Dirk would eventually silence those doubters a few seasons later, but even before then, the comparisons of Dirk’s shooting ability to that of Larry Bird didn’t feel out of line. Nowitzki was a perennial fixture on the All-NBA teams for the decade and was Dallas’ go-to guy with the game on the line. He hardly ever missed free throws, he was nearly unstoppable on offense with his size and shooting ability and when the Mavs finally did win a title, it felt like a long time coming for Dirk.