May 4, 2011; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) controls the ball against the defense of Los Angeles Lakers shooting guard Kobe Bryant (24) during the second half in game two of the second round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Dirk Nowitzki 'Would've Loved' To Play With Kobe Bryant

Originally posted on Dallas Mavericks on SI
By Austin Veazey | Last updated Oct 23, 2024 2:48 PM ET

Mark Cuban surprised many by revealing how close he was to trading for Kobe Bryant in the 2007 offseason on a recent podcast appearance, saying a trade bringing Kobe to Dallas and sending Josh Howard and Jason Terry to the LA Lakers was denied at the last minute. It would've paired two of the 20 greatest players together in their prime with Dirk Nowitzki and Bryant and would've been one of the best duos in NBA history.

Nowitzki recently interviewed with Ashley Nicole Moss on CBS Sports and was asked about what playing with Kobe would've been like.

"It's no secret I was a huge Kobe fan while I played," Nowitzki started. "I admired his playing style, his athleticism, his skill level, his killer instinct. He was the complete package, and I loved to compete against him. It would've been amazing to play alongside with him, but of course, it never happened. I think learning from him on the same team, seeing how he sees the game, how he approaches the game, his professionalism, and his work ethic, I would've loved to have been around him more and see that on the same team."

Nowitzki admits he was in the know of what moves the Mavs were in the process of trying to make at the time and says Mark Cuban exaggerates the story a little more every time it happens but that those discussions were real. Kobe had asked for a trade away from the Lakers in that 2007 offseason after some disappointing team success, but they ended up keeping him and making three straight NBA Finals appearances after that.

Kobe tried to recruit Dirk to the Lakers in 2010, but Dirk wanted to remain in Dallas and won the championship soon after. The two legends were fans of each other from afar and had a lot of respect for each other's games, but they never had a real chance to team up.

Both Bryant and Nowitzki are members of the 30,000-point club, of which there are currently only seven members (eight if you include Julius Erving's ABA stint). Nowitzki finished sixth in career points, while Bryant is a few thousand points ahead of him in fourth.

This article first appeared on Dallas Mavericks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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