Kevin Durant showed his admiration and respect for Dirk Nowitzki after it was announced that he was to be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame. As many NBA fans might be aware, Dirk was a former star for the Dallas Mavericks and managed to win the team a coveted NBA championship in 2011 when playing against LeBron James and the Miami Heat.
Many have opined that Dirk could be one of the best large forwards to shoot the basketball. Durant is one of the players who can also make a case for the same. However, as KD pointed out, Dirk was a truly impressive player and had an enormous impact on the game. Let us take a closer look at what Durant had to say on the subject.
Kevin Durant shows appreciation for Dirk Nowitzki’s legendary career
Making it into the NBA Hall of Fame is no laughing matter. To those who do now know, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame is a museum located in Springfield, Massachusetts. It serves as a library for basketball and is dedicated to players who have excelled in the sport.
Several great NBA players are inducted into the HOF, usually a few years after their retirement. Dirk retired in 2019 after averaging 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.4 assists throughout his career. What made him extra special was his patented one-legged fadeaway shot, considered by many to be one of the most unstoppable moves in basketball. Durant discussed just that when asked about Dirk’s induction into the NBA Hall of Fame.
“A lotta people don’t talk about that, the fact that the one-legged fade is just a staple in the game and it was used by him mostly his whole career…Yeah, he impacted me as a young player and a lot of my friends as well.”
congrats to an OG @swish41 https://t.co/FKkywdxeMJ
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) April 5, 2023
As we could tell from the video, Duant was truly feeling happy for Nowitzki and was giving him his due credit. KD also explained how Dirk gave him, and other players who were large in size, the confidence to work on a jump shot and consistently take and make them in the game. This was not encouraged by coaches at the time.
By doing so, Dirk helped grow the game of basketball and has an incredibly successful NBA career. We are happy to see he is being recognized and included in the NBA Hall Of Fame.