Bob Cousy vs. Dirk Nowitzki: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Bob Cousy and Dirk Nowitzki all-time NBA rankings. Explore their historical standing across total and per-game stats, regular season and playoffs. Who ranks higher?
This in-depth analysis goes beyond basic career numbers to provide an unparalleled look at where Bob Cousy, with a career spanning 14 seasons from 1951 to 1970, and Dirk Nowitzki, with 21 seasons played from 1999 to 2019, stand among the league's historical elite.
Dive into a meticulous breakdown of their positions in every major statistical category—from scoring, rebounding and assists to steals, blocks, triple-doubles, and rankings by points thresholds—across both regular season and their entire playoff careers. Our comprehensive tables offer side-by-side rankings, value comparisons, and key differences, ensuring you have all the definitive data to assess their historical impact.
First, review a concise summary of how they rank in NBA history in the main categories (points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks) for both total and per-game stats, and below, you can then explore in detail all their stats and their historical rankings.
Bob Cousy vs. Dirk Nowitzki | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| Points | 108th | 6th | 68th | 18th |
| Rebounds | +300th | 27th | 174th | 24th |
| Assists | 22nd | 163rd | 20th | 105th |
| Steals | n/a | 96th | n/a | 55th |
| Blocks | n/a | 56th | n/a | 53rd |
| Years | 14 | 21 | 13 | 15 |
Bob Cousy vs. Dirk Nowitzki | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| Points | 127th | 59th | 134th | 28th |
| Rebounds | +300th | 181st | +300th | 61st |
| Assists | 23rd | +300th | 10th | +300th |
| Steals | n/a | +300th | n/a | 276th |
| Blocks | n/a | 228th | n/a | 188th |
Steals, blocks, offensive and defensive rebounds started to be recorded in the 1973-74 season. The 3-point shot was implemented in the 1979-80 season.
n/a = The player doesn't have data for the stat.
Comparisons on this page: |
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Their rankings for: |
Note: per game rankings include players with a minimum of games played
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 108th | 6th | 102 | 16,960 vs. 31,560 | 14,600 |
| Rebounds | +300th | 27th | +273 | 4,786 vs. 11,489 | 6,703 |
| Assists | 22nd | 163rd | 141 | 6,955 vs. 3,651 | 3,304 |
| Steals | n/a | 96th | 0 vs. 1,210 | ||
| Blocks | n/a | 56th | 0 vs. 1,281 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds | n/a | 237th | 0 vs. 1,468 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds | n/a | 6th | 0 vs. 10,021 | ||
| Field Goals Made | 124th | 8th | 116 | 6,168 vs. 11,169 | 5,001 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 46th | 8th | 38 | 16,468 vs. 23,734 | 7,266 |
| 3-Pointers Made | n/a | 20th | 0 vs. 1,982 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted | n/a | 23rd | 0 vs. 5,210 | ||
| Free Throws Made | 54th | 9th | 45 | 4,624 vs. 7,240 | 2,616 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 56th | 18th | 38 | 5,756 vs. 8,239 | 2,483 |
Games and Years: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 238th | 5th | 233 | 924 vs. 1,522 | 598 |
| Seasons | 194th | 3rd | 191 | 14 vs. 21 | 7 |
Triple-Doubles: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 14th | 205th | 191 | 33 vs. 2 | 31 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 223rd | 62nd | 161 | 3 vs. 20 | 17 |
| 50+ point games | - | 50th | 0 vs. 2 | 2 | |
| 60+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 68th | 18th | 50 | 2,018 vs. 3,663 | 1,645 |
| Rebounds | 174th | 24th | 150 | 546 vs. 1,446 | 900 |
| Assists | 20th | 105th | 85 | 937 vs. 360 | 577 |
| Steals | n/a | 55th | 0 vs. 149 | ||
| Blocks | n/a | 53rd | 0 vs. 129 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds | n/a | 83rd | 0 vs. 212 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds | n/a | 7th | 0 vs. 1,234 | ||
| Field Goals Made | 85th | 21st | 64 | 689 vs. 1,220 | 531 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 45th | 21st | 24 | 2,016 vs. 2,642 | 626 |
| 3-Pointers Made | n/a | 62nd | 0 vs. 149 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted | n/a | 63rd | 0 vs. 408 | ||
| Free Throws Made | 39th | 10th | 29 | 640 vs. 1,074 | 434 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 41st | 14th | 27 | 799 vs. 1,204 | 405 |
Games and Years: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 131st | 54th | 77 | 109 vs. 145 | 36 |
| Playoffs | 45th | 17th | 28 | 13 vs. 15 | 2 |
Triple-Doubles: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 31st | +300th | 2 vs. 0 | 2 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 78th | 20th | 58 | 1 vs. 7 | 6 |
| 50+ point games | 9th | 9th | 0 | 1 vs. 1 | 0 |
| 60+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 127th | 59th | 68 | 18.35 vs. 20.74 | 2.38 |
| Rebounds per game | +300th | 181st | +119 | 5.18 vs. 7.55 | 2.37 |
| Assists per game | 23rd | +300th | +277 | 7.53 vs. 2.40 | 5.13 |
| Steals per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.80 | ||
| Blocks per game | n/a | 228th | 0.00 vs. 0.84 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 0.96 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds per game | n/a | 54th | 0.00 vs. 6.58 | ||
| Field Goals Made per game | 165th | 91st | 74 | 6.68 vs. 7.34 | 0.66 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 36th | 102nd | 66 | 17.82 vs. 15.59 | 2.23 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | n/a | 271st | 0.00 vs. 1.30 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | n/a | 216th | 0.00 vs. 3.42 | ||
| Free Throws Made per game | 52nd | 69th | 17 | 5.00 vs. 4.76 | 0.25 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 62nd | 107th | 45 | 6.23 vs. 5.41 | 0.82 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Bob Cousy | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 134th | 28th | 106 | 18.51 vs. 25.26 | 6.75 |
| Rebounds per game | +300th | 61st | +239 | 5.01 vs. 9.97 | 4.96 |
| Assists per game | 10th | +300th | +290 | 8.60 vs. 2.48 | 6.11 |
| Steals per game | n/a | 276th | 0.00 vs. 1.03 | ||
| Blocks per game | n/a | 188th | 0.00 vs. 0.89 | ||
| Offensive Rebounds per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 1.46 | ||
| Defensive Rebounds per game | n/a | 11th | 0.00 vs. 8.51 | ||
| Field Goals Made per game | 180th | 51st | 129 | 6.32 vs. 8.41 | 2.09 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 54th | 58th | 4 | 18.50 vs. 18.22 | 0.27 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 1.03 | ||
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | n/a | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.81 | ||
| Free Throws Made per game | 39th | 10th | 29 | 5.87 vs. 7.41 | 1.54 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 42nd | 23rd | 19 | 7.33 vs. 8.30 | 0.97 |
Note: the per game rankings on this page respect the minimums usually applied by the NBA for all-time leaders, this is 400 games for regular season stats unless the player reached these thresholds before: 10,000 points; 4,000 rebounds; 2,000 assists; 625 steals; 500 blocks; 250 3-pointers made. Also a minimum of 3 games is applied here for the Playoffs.