Dirk Nowitzki is one of the best players to ever suit up in the NBA, and one can even argue that he's the greatest international player ever considering his impact to the sport globally. According to former Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, however, there is one thing that Dirk is unarguably the greatest at: being a teammate.
Carlisle said as much when asked about Nowitzki's career ahead of the German icon's Hall of Fame induction this August. The Indiana Pacers tactician, who guided Dirk and the Mavs to the 2011 NBA championship, was full of praise for the Dallas legend. The one thing that stood out to him the most, though, is Nowitzki's humble demeanor and how he conducted himself throughout his career despite being one of the top players in the league.
“He was the greatest superstar teammate that I’ve ever seen,” Carlisle told Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. “He had a really humble demeanor, he knew who he was, he knew what his responsibility was.”
For what it's worth, it's not only Rick Carlisle who said the same thing about Dirk Nowitzki's incredible character. Dirk's former Mavs teammate Shawn Marion also talked about how “his ego never got in the way of what the biggest goal was,” further emphasizing how amazing of a leader Nowitzki was.
“He's a quiet leader. And he had a bit of a joker side to him too,” Marion added.
Nowitzki has always been known as one of the most humble superstars in the NBA, and that remains true even after his retirement. But remarks like what Rick Carlisle and Shawn Marion just shared only further proves that he's truly an even more incredible person.
As Nowitzki heads to the Hall of Fame, his legacy will be cemented and forever remembered. And with that, the story of how the gentle giant conquered the best basketball league in the world should continue to be told for the years to come.