Before his team’s loss to the Mavericks on Christmas Day, one of LeBron James’s greatest adversaries was celebrated with a statue outside of American Airlines Center and the four-time champion had some special praise for him.
Dirk Nowitzki’s signature fadeaway is one of the most iconic moves in sports history, so when it was first announced Dallas would be building his very own statue, everyone knew what it would look like—including James, who said he was the best international NBA player ever.
“It had to be a fadeaway, one leg,” he said. “Had to be. No question about it. Dirk is a legend, he’s a icon. [I] Think he’s the greatest international player ever. I put him right there with Manu [Ginóbili].”
When thinking about his battles with Nowitzki, James doesn’t exactly have the fondest memories. His 2011 Heat team was infamously upset in the Finals by Nowitzki and the Mavericks during James’s first year in South Beach, when he teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
That was Nowitzki’s first and only NBA title, and he was named Finals MVP. The German-born legend’s career ended with 14 All-Star selections, 12 All-NBA selections and one MVP award.
After losing 124–115 on Sunday, James also said Nowitzki is one of the greatest power forwards ever, naming him among the likes of Charles Barkley, Tim Duncan, Kevin Garnett and Kevin McHale.
