Only four NBA players have scored 27,000 points for a franchise. Two of them were in the gym on Monday in Charlotte.
On a jumper with 6:07 remaining in the third quarter of what would be a 107-80 blowout win over the Hornets at Time Warner Arena, Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki scored his 27,000th career point. In doing so, he joined Utah’s Karl Malone, the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant and Chicago’s Michael Jordan — who is now the owner of the Hornets and was in the arena for the moment — as the only players to reach that plateau with one franchise.
“It means a lot to me that I was able to do it with one team,” said Nowitzki, who scored 13 points and for the third straight game was able to sit out the end of a lopsided win. “Hopefully there’s more baskets to come.”
Nowitzki is in his 17th season with 8-3 Dallas and is still playing at a high level. He entered the week averaging 21 points per game on a career-best 55-percent shooting.
“It’s been a great ride,” said Nowitzki, who last week moved to No. 9 all-time in NBA scoring and in the coming months will surpass Elvin Hayes and Moses Malone on the all-time list.
The great ride rolls on …
