Fansided

The best NBA Draft pick of all time at every slot

By Brandon Jefferson

NEW YORK - JUNE 26: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses with his jersey during the 2003/2004 NBA Draft Portrait at Paramount Theatre Madison Square Garden on June 26, 2003 in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2003 NBAE (Photo by: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - JUNE 26: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers poses with his jersey during the 2003/2004 NBA Draft Portrait at Paramount Theatre Madison Square Garden on June 26, 2003 in New York, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory copyright notice: Copyright 2003 NBAE (Photo by: Jennifer Pottheiser/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 10: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks acknowledges fans at the end of his last game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on April 10, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO, TX – APRIL 10: Dirk Nowitzki #41 of the Dallas Mavericks acknowledges fans at the end of his last game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center on April 10, 2019 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that , by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Cortes/Getty Images) /

9. Dirk Nowitzki, 1998 NBA Draft, Milwaukee Bucks

Over the years, players who aren’t from America or haven’t played in America prior to being drafted into the NBA were often viewed under a different scope than their domestic counterparts. When Dirk Nowitzki was selected ninth by the Milwaukee Bucks — then traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Robert Traylor — he was stereotyped as soft and the prevailing thought was that he wouldn’t last long in the NBA.

For the most part, his rookie year seemed to prove his critics right. Nowitzki has even said that his struggles early and the onslaught of criticisms from the media made he ponder leaving the NBA altogether to go back to Europe. Luckily for us, he elected to stay in Dallas.

Nowitzki retired at the end of this last season as the sixth all-time leading scorer in the NBA after totaling 31,560 points in his illustrious 21-season career. The only players in NBA history with more points than Dirk are Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), Karl Malone (36,928 points), Kobe Bryant (33,643 points), LeBron James (32,543 points), and Michael Jordan (32,292 points). That’s a who’s who of NBA royalty — Abdul-Jabbar and Malone are the only names not on this list and that’s because one of the others on this list were drafted at the same slot as them.

Besides being the best shooting 7-footer in the history of the NBA, Nowitzki was also able to bring home the NBA MVP award following the 2006-07 season and won the 2011 NBA Finals (where he was also named MVP). Dirk’s career has certainly made those that doubted him at the start look foolish. Now retired, it seems like he is on a straight path to Hall-of-Fame induction when his name comes up on the ballot in five years.

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