By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
NBA’s unforgettable figures Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker were guests on Dwyane Wade’s podcast.
When Wade asked who the greatest European basketball player of all time is, Nowitzki shared his admiration for what today’s superstars achieve.
“To be honest, I take more pride in watching them. We know records are meant to be broken, and there’s always someone who comes along who is better, does better things, is more athletic. That’s life. I really take pride in watching these kids. I see Luka Doncic and what he does,” Nowitzki said.
Tony Parker interjected, saying that Luka Doncic cannot be compared to Dirk.
“In my opinion, for a player to be part of the debate for the greatest European player ever, they need to win a championship. That’s just my personal view. I love the GOAT discussion. I always have the GOAT discussion with my brother, my friends. In my opinion, if you don’t know what it takes to win a championship, you shouldn’t be part of the GOAT discussion,” the former San Antonio Spurs star said.
Nowitzki then turned to the two-time MVP and NBA champion, Nikola Jokic.
“We see what Nikola Jokic is doing. He’s dominating the league and has won a championship ring. I take pride in watching these kids, and hopefully, they will have great careers in the future. It’s always difficult to argue who the best is.”
Nowitzki, stating that GOAT discussions are difficult, mentioned some of his idols.
“You’re always in between, and of course, there are different eras. Detlef Schrempf, who had a great career, was one of my idols. Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc. Arvydas Sabonis was an incredible player before getting injured. Unfortunately, injuries affected him. Actually, we never saw the best Sabonis. He could have been Europe’s GOAT. It’s always difficult. Discussing is fun, but unfortunately, we’ll never know. It’s amazing that we’re all part of this conversation.“