Vince Carter vs. Dirk Nowitzki: Career Scoring Comparison

We break down the scoring legacies of Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter to determine who has the better numbers. Here you can compare their career totals, points per game, games of 40+ points, 50+, etc. and their year-by-year scoring averages side by side, both in the Regular Season and Playoffs.

Player comparisons:
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other

Dirk Nowitzki and Vince Carter are among the all-time leaders in points in NBA history—combining for a total of 57,288 points—. Here we compare their scoring stats.

By taking a look at their career numbers for points, the first conclusion one can arrive at is that Dirk Nowitzki has better scoring stats than Vince Carter in averages and totals, both in the regular season and Playoffs. However, we won't stop there and we'll go into detail to analyze what these statistics are made up of, from how many games they had in each threshold (30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc.) to their season-by-season scoring averages.

On this page we compare:

Who has better scoring stats? Career Numbers
Games of 30+ points, 40+, 50+, etc
Shooting Stats
Points Year by Year

Career Numbers
Who has the better scoring stats?

Points in the Regular Season

In his 21 NBA regular seasons played, Dirk Nowitzki averages 4 points more than Vince Carter in his 22 seasons (20.7 points against 16.7), and he also scored a total of 5,832 points more (31,560 vs. 25,728).

Points Per Game

Seasons
Vince Carter 16.7
22
Dirk Nowitzki 20.7
+4.0
21

Total Points

Seasons
Vince Carter 25,728
22
Dirk Nowitzki 31,560
+5,832
21

Points in the Playoffs

Similar to what happens in the regular season, in the NBA postseason Dirk Nowitzki has a better career point average than Vince Carter (+7.2 points per game) and he also scored more points (+2,070).

Points Per Game

Playoffs
Vince Carter 18.1
11
Dirk Nowitzki 25.3
+7.2
15

Total Points

Playoffs
Vince Carter 1,593
11
Dirk Nowitzki 3,663
+2,070
15

Points by Thresholds

Regular Season

50+ Point Games

Vince Carter 2
Dirk Nowitzki 2

40+ Point Games

Vince Carter 32
+12
Dirk Nowitzki 20

30+ Point Games

Vince Carter 185
Dirk Nowitzki 245
+60

20+ Point Games

Vince Carter 597
Dirk Nowitzki 861
+264

10+ Point Games

Vince Carter 1,094
Dirk Nowitzki 1,373
+279

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Vince Carter 1,473
Dirk Nowitzki 1,509
+36

0 Point Games (games without points)

Vince Carter 68
+55
Dirk Nowitzki 13

Playoffs

50+ Point Games

Vince Carter 1
Dirk Nowitzki 1

40+ Point Games

Vince Carter 2
Dirk Nowitzki 7
+5

30+ Point Games

Vince Carter 12
Dirk Nowitzki 46
+34

20+ Point Games

Vince Carter 40
Dirk Nowitzki 109
+69

10+ Point Games

Vince Carter 68
Dirk Nowitzki 142
+74

1+ Point Games (games with points)

Vince Carter 88
Dirk Nowitzki 145
+57

0 Point Games (games without points)

Vince Carter 0
Dirk Nowitzki 0

Career Shooting Stats Comparison

more >>

Regular Season

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Vince Carter 16.7 6.0 13.8 43.5 1.5 4.0 37.1 3.1 3.9 79.8 22 1,541
difference:+4.0+1.3+1.8+3.5+0.2+0.6+0.9+1.7+1.5+8.1+1+19
Dirk Nowitzki 20.7 7.3 15.6 47.1 1.3 3.4 38.0 4.8 5.4 87.9 21 1,522

Total Stats

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Vince Carter 25,728 9,293 21,339 43.5 2,290 6,168 37.1 4,852 6,082 79.8 22 1,541
difference:+5,832+1,876+2,395+3.5+308+958+0.9+2,388+2,157+8.1+1+19
Dirk Nowitzki 31,560 11,169 23,734 47.1 1,982 5,210 38.0 7,240 8,239 87.9 21 1,522

Playoffs

Stats Per Game

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Vince Carter 18.1 6.3 15.2 41.6 1.4 4.0 33.8 4.1 5.1 79.6 11 88
difference:+7.2+2.1+3.0+4.6+0.4+1.2+2.7+3.3+3.2+9.6+4+57
Dirk Nowitzki 25.3 8.4 18.2 46.2 1.0 2.8 36.5 7.4 8.3 89.2 15 145

Total Stats

Pts FGM / A% 3PM / A% FTM / A% Yrs Gms
Vince Carter 1,593 557 1,340 41.6 119 352 33.8 360 452 79.6 11 88
difference:+2,070+663+1,302+4.6+30+56+2.7+714+752+9.6+4+57
Dirk Nowitzki 3,663 1,220 2,642 46.2 149 408 36.5 1,074 1,204 89.2 15 145

Year by Year Points Average Comparison

NBA Champion = NBA Champion

Regular Season

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 18.3
+10.1
199950
Dirk Nowitzki 8.2
199947

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 25.7
+8.2
200082
Dirk Nowitzki 17.5
200082

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 27.6
+5.8
200175
Dirk Nowitzki 21.8
200182

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 24.7
+1.3
200260
Dirk Nowitzki 23.4
200276

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 20.6
200343
Dirk Nowitzki 25.1
+4.5
200380

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 22.5
+0.7
200473
Dirk Nowitzki 21.8
200477

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 24.5
200577
Dirk Nowitzki 26.1
+1.6
200578

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 24.2
200679
Dirk Nowitzki 26.6
+2.4
200681

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 25.2
+0.6
200782
Dirk Nowitzki 24.6
200778

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 21.3
200876
Dirk Nowitzki 23.6
+2.3
200877

Season 11

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 20.8
200980
Dirk Nowitzki 25.9
+5.1
200981

Season 12

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 16.6
201075
Dirk Nowitzki 25.0
+8.4
201081

Season 13

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 14.0
201173
Dirk Nowitzki 23.0
+9.0
2011NBA Champion73

Season 14

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 14.0
201173
Dirk Nowitzki 21.6
+7.6
201262

Season 15

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 10.1
201261
Dirk Nowitzki 17.3
+7.2
201353

Season 16

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 13.4
201381
Dirk Nowitzki 21.7
+8.3
201480

Season 17

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 11.9
201481
Dirk Nowitzki 17.3
+5.4
201577

Season 18

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 5.8
201566
Dirk Nowitzki 18.3
+12.5
201675

Season 19

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 6.6
201660
Dirk Nowitzki 14.2
+7.6
201754

Season 20

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 8.0
201773
Dirk Nowitzki 12.0
+4.0
201877

Season 21

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 5.4
201858
Dirk Nowitzki 7.3
+1.9
201951

Vince Carter's additional seasons:

- Vince Carter played 2 seasons more than Dirk Nowitzki in the NBA.

In those years—his seasons 22 to 23, from 2019 to 2020—he averaged 6.3 points in a total of 136 regular season games.

Playoffs

Rookie Season

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
19990
Dirk Nowitzki -
DNP
19990

Season 2

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 19.3
+19.3
20003
Dirk Nowitzki -
DNP
20000

Season 3

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 27.3
+3.9
200112
Dirk Nowitzki 23.4
200110

Season 4

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20020
Dirk Nowitzki 28.4
+28.4
20028

Season 5

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20030
Dirk Nowitzki 25.3
+25.3
200317

Season 6

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20040
Dirk Nowitzki 26.6
+26.6
20045

Season 7

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 26.8
+3.1
20054
Dirk Nowitzki 23.7
200513

Season 8

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 29.6
+2.6
200611
Dirk Nowitzki 27.0
200623

Season 9

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 22.3
+2.6
200712
Dirk Nowitzki 19.7
20076

Season 10

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20080
Dirk Nowitzki 26.8
+26.8
20085

Season 11

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20090
Dirk Nowitzki 26.8
+26.8
200910

Season 12

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 15.5
201014
Dirk Nowitzki 26.7
+11.2
20106

Season 13

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20110
Dirk Nowitzki 27.7
+27.7
2011NBA Champion21

Season 14

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20110
Dirk Nowitzki 26.8
+26.8
20124

Season 15

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 8.3
+8.3
20124
Dirk Nowitzki -
DNP
20130

Season 16

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20130
Dirk Nowitzki 19.1
+19.1
20147

Season 17

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 12.6
20147
Dirk Nowitzki 21.2
+8.6
20155

Season 18

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 6.3
201511
Dirk Nowitzki 20.4
+14.1
20165

Season 19

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 11.3
+11.3
20164
Dirk Nowitzki -
DNP
20170

Season 20

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter 9.2
+9.2
20176
Dirk Nowitzki -
DNP
20180

Season 21

Points per gameYearGames
Vince Carter -
DNP
20180
Dirk Nowitzki -
DNP
20190

Vince Carter's additional Playoffs:

- During his 2 additional NBA seasons, Vince Carter didn't play in the postseason.

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