Dirk Nowitzki Passes Hakeem Olajuwon In NBA All-Time Scoring List

NBA superstar Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks has cemented his status in the league's record books. No other international player has scored more points than the German professional basketball player as he passed the Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon in ninth place in the NBA's all-time scoring list.

"It's an honour. To do it at home, it was even more special. Getting a standing ovation, it was great," Nowitzki said via mavs.com, the official team website. He further revealed that he grew up watching Hakeem in the 90s and considers him as one of the greatest. He said that he is humbled by climbing the ladder.

Nowitzki received two standing ovations from the crowd at the game of Dallas Mavericks against Sacramento Kings, where he scored 23 points at the American Airlines Center. The first standing ovation was during the next break in play and the second took place when a video that showed all his milestone shots were flashed on the arena big screens.

It has been a long road for the 17-year veteran, who has earned 12 All-Star appearances and averaged 22.5 points per contest in his career. When Nowitzki was chosen by Mavericks as the ninth overall pick in 1998, he only averaged 8.2 points as a rookie. Although he finishes with 17.5 points per game during his second year, it was not clear at that point that he will be a legit NBA superstar. Now, Nowitzki is one of the game's great power forwards and his credentials put him in rare company.

According to the owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, Dirk has earned everything that he has and every step higher that he takes on his career is a reflection of his effort and focus. He also revealed that he is glad to have him on the team.