Contemporaries · overlapped 16 seasons
Dirk Nowitzki vs LeBron James
Dirk Nowitzki and LeBron James were contemporaries, their careers overlapping for 16 seasons. On the floor, LeBron James was the higher-volume scorer (26.8 points per game to 20.7); LeBron James was the more efficient scorer (60.8% true shooting to 57.7%); LeBron James created more for others (7.4 assists per game to 2.4). LeBron James holds the edge on accolades — 4 MVPs, 4 championships, 4 Finals MVPs and the #3 all-time ranking to Dirk Nowitzki's #25.
Career averages
| Dirk Nowitzki | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 20.7 |
Points / game |
26.8 |
| 7.5 |
Rebounds / game |
7.4 |
| 2.4 |
Assists / game |
7.4 |
| 0.8 |
Steals / game |
1.5 |
| 0.8 |
Blocks / game |
0.7 |
| 46.6% |
Field goal % |
50.8% |
| 37.9% |
3-point % |
34.7% |
| 87.4% |
Free throw % |
73.7% |
| 57.7% |
True shooting % |
60.8% |
| 1,522 |
Games played |
1,622 |
Advanced metrics
| Dirk Nowitzki | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 105.9 |
Offensive rating |
113.8 |
| 105.4 |
Defensive rating |
107.9 |
| 0.6 |
Net rating |
5.9 |
| 0.2% |
Usage % |
27.2% |
| 0.1% |
Assist % |
34.1% |
| 0.1% |
Rebound % |
10.7% |
Playoff averages
| Dirk Nowitzki | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 25.3 |
Points / game |
28.4 |
| 10.0 |
Rebounds / game |
9.0 |
| 2.5 |
Assists / game |
7.2 |
| 1.0 |
Steals / game |
1.7 |
| 0.9 |
Blocks / game |
1.0 |
| 46.1% |
Field goal % |
49.8% |
| 36.2% |
3-point % |
33.2% |
| 89.2% |
Free throw % |
73.8% |
| 145 |
Playoff games |
292 |
Accolades
| Dirk Nowitzki | Stat | LeBron James |
|---|
| 1 |
MVP awards |
4 |
| 1 |
Finals MVP |
4 |
| 1 |
Championships |
4 |
| 14 |
All-Star selections |
21 |
| 4 |
All-NBA 1st Team |
13 |
| #25 |
All-time GOAT rank |
#3 |