Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Calls Dirk Nowitzki a Volume and Streak Shooter

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar called Dirk Nowitzki a volume and streak shooter in a Tuesday interview with KRLD-FM 105.3 while discussing the Dallas Mavericks forward's place in the NBA history books as it relates to Hall of Famer Larry Bird.

Here are his full remarks on the matter, via the Dallas Morning News:

"

No way. No way that Dirk Nowitzki is better than Larry, and Dirk is a first-rate — he’s an All-Star. Absolutely any time he’s been on the All-Star team, he’s deserved it. But Larry, I think, had more going in terms of leadership. If you take the 48 minutes of the game, for every second on that clock, Larry knew where to be on the court to be the most effective for his team. And Dirk doesn’t play the game that way. He’s a volume shooter. He’s a streak shooter and he’s wonderful at that — and he’s had a great career; I’m not trying to knock him, but Larry is one of a kind.

"

For what it's worth, over the course of his career, Nowitzki has shot 47.5 percent from the floor, 38.3 percent from downtown and 87.9 percent from the free-throw line. It's also worth noting that during his MVP campaign in 2006-07, he shot 50.2 percent from the field, 41.6 percent from deep and 90.4 percent from the charity stripe.

Bird, meanwhile, owns career shooting averages of 49.6 percent overall, 37.6 percent from three-point range and 88.6 percent on free-throw attempts.

[Dallas Morning News]