Dirk Nowitzki vs Larry Bird
Larry Bird leads 5 of 8 career categories against Dirk Nowitzki, including scoring (24.3 PPG) and rebounding (10.0 RPG). The two never shared an NBA floor — Larry Bird's last season was 1991-92, and Dirk Nowitzki debuted in 1998-99.
The case for Dirk Nowitzki: shooting efficiency (57.7% TS%), career value (206.6 Win Shares), longevity (1522 games played).
The case for Larry Bird: scoring (24.3 PPG), rebounding (10.0 RPG), playmaking (6.3 APG), and 2 more.
PPG
20.724.3
RPG
7.510.0
APG
2.46.3
TS%
57.7%56.4%
PER
22.424.7
Win Shares
206.667.4
games played
1522897
MVPs / All-Star nods
1 MVP · 1 FMVP · 12 All-NBA · 14 AS3 MVP · 2 FMVP · 10 All-NBA · 12 AS
Per Game
| Dirk Nowitzki | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| G | 1522 | 897 |
| MIN | 33.7 | 38.4 |
| PTS | 20.7 | 24.3 |
| REB | 7.5 | 10.0 |
| AST | 2.4 | 6.3 |
| STL | 0.8 | 1.6 |
| BLK | 0.8 | 0.8 |
| FG% | 47.1 | 49.6 |
| 3P% | 38.0 | 38.0 |
| FT% | 87.9 | 88.5 |
Advanced
| Dirk Nowitzki | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| PER | 22.4 | 24.7 |
| TS% | 57.7 | 56.4 |
| USG% | 26.5 | 27.1 |
| WS | 206.6 | 67.4 |
| WS/48 | 0.193 | 0.200 |
| BPM | 3.7 | 6.8 |
| VORP | 74.9 | 36.0 |
Accolades
| Dirk Nowitzki | Larry Bird | |
|---|---|---|
| MVP | 1 | 3 |
| Finals MVP | 1 | 2 |
| All-NBA | 12 | 10 |
| All-Star | 14 | 12 |
| All-Defensive | — | 3 |
| All-Star MVP | — | 1 |
| Rookie of the Year | — | 1 |
| All-Rookie | — | 1 |
Career percentiles
Scoring9297
Efficiency8176
Playmaking7094
Rebounding8996
Defense7591
Compare Dirk Nowitzki to someone else · Compare Larry Bird to someone else