Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most respected players in NBA history. He is a candidate for being called the greatest-ever player, alongside Michael Jordan and LeBron James. Kareem dominated the league with his offensive skill set but mostly relied on his Skyhook to have the edge against the opposing players.
Dirk Nowitzki is another all-time great who relied on a signature move to succeed. For him, it was the one-legged fade away, a near-unblockable shot during his prime, especially during the 2011 championship run. Unfortunately for Dirk, Kareem was not a big fan of his early on, calling him a one-trick pony , which led to a reaction from the German.
"It is what it is. People have opinions. He's one of the greatest ever to play the game, so I'm not going to get in a war of words. I respect his opinion. I don't necessarily agree with it, but it is what it is," Dirk said to SLAM. "I don't want to get into throwing stats around, because his are obviously way better than mine. But I don't think you can average 25 and 10 over your playoff career and not be dominant."
Dirk had no issues with Kareem
Dirk has always been respectful of other's opinions, which is why he's a popular guy among his fellow players. He is mild-mannered enough to remain calm because he knows it is just a basketball opinion. Kareem also noted Nowitzki is a fantastic player, but has a different perspective on the game. Abdul-Jabbar was a dynamic player, but some might also call him a one-trick pony due to his reliance on the Skyhook.
Nowitzki is also confident that he has secured a fantastic legacy for himself. He sits sixth on the all-time list for points scored, just behind Michael Jordan. Kareem might be in the second spot, but that should not discount what Dirk did during his career. The German is comfortable with criticisms because he knows he has proved himself throughout his career.
Kareem backtracked on his opinion of Dirk
Despite his comments in 2016, Kareem changed his tune on Dirk in 2017. He wanted to inform people that his statements were misconstrued because he respected Nowitzki. Cap acknowledged Dirk as one of the best players from the modern era and one of the most influential names.
"I want to give a shoutout to Dirk. Some of the statements I made about him were misconstrued to make it seem like I was trying to knock him and knock his career," Kareem said on ESPN's The Jump. "Nothing could be farther from the truth. He helped the game evolve by stretching the court with his accurate three-point shooting."
It's great that both of these legends show respect to each other because they had superb careers as star players for their respective teams. Kareem is known for showing love for those who succeeded him, so his taking back the pointed comments at Dirk was good for the discourse.
Related: "I think Hakeem is clearly a better player" - Kareem on why Olajuwon is way better than Shaq
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