Mark Cuban Says Dirk Nowitzki's Impact on NBA Isn't Understood by Younger Fans

There's an argument to be made that Dirk Nowitzki was the NBA's original stretch-4 and one of the best power forwards in league history.

Mark Cuban doesn't believe younger generations see him that way, however.

"I think while he was playing he was acknowledged because he was hitting all these milestones. The championship, 20,000 points, 30,000 points, the number of All-Star Game appearances. When he was playing, people truly appreciated him," he told Boardroom's Rich Kleiman (11:00 mark) on Thursday. "Now, he's appreciated in Dallas because of all the things he does in the community, and true Mavs fans remember and love him, they see the statue in front of the arena.

"But outside of Dallas, it's almost as if younger fans don't really understand the impact he had on the game. His ability to come in a change a game, his ability to shoot and score and rebound and do all of the things he needed to do to win. Ten straight years of 50-plus wins. That's unheard of in this day and age. And yet, kids—unless you're in a highlight film or on Instagram, TikTok, YouTube videos, you're not truly appreciated any longer. And that's not just Dirk, that's Patrick Ewing, guys we all really, truly loved and appreciated."

Nowitzki, 47, is a Hall of Famer for a reason. He was a 14-time All-Star, one-time MVP and one-time champion. His 31,560 points are the sixth most in NBA history, and his 1,522 games played rank fifth.

His place in NBA history is secure, even if he hasn't quite stuck in the collective consciousness among the younger generations like other players of the past.