DALLAS –The ball suddenly landed in Dirk Nowitkzi’s hands. A defensive switch suddenly caused Kobe Bryant to guard him. A buzz began roaring as Maverick and Lakers fans alike eagerly awaited on how two future Hall of Famers and elite scorers would handle this matchup.
Would Nowitzki unleash one of his trademark fadeaways that currently thrust him into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list? Or would Bryant translate make a defensive stop that would provide a more captivating highlight reel than one of his scoring binges that ensured a third-place spot on the same list?
The 6-foot-6, 212-pound Bryant became well aware of his distinct height disadvantage against the 7-foot-0, 245-pound Nowitzki.