DALLAS — He joined an exclusive fraternity last season, becoming the sixth player in NBA history to amass 30,000 career points. Now, 13-time All-Star Dirk Nowitzki eyes more career milestones and team success as he begins his 20th campaign with the Dallas Mavericks at home Wednesday night against the Atlanta Hawks.
Joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (38,387), Karl Malone (36,928), Kobe Bryant (33,643), Michael Jordan (32,292) and Wilt Chamberlain (31,419) in the 30,000-point club last season, Nowitzki (30,260) now sits just 1,159 points away from tying Chamberlain for fifth on the league’s all-time scoring list. He will also join Bryant as the sole members of the NBA’s 20-year, only-one-team club this season after spending all 19 of his previous campaigns with the Mavericks (0-0).