Dirk Nowitzki vs. Bill Walton: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Dirk Nowitzki and Bill Walton 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 Dirk Nowitzki, with a career spanning 21 seasons from 1999 to 2019, and Bill Walton, with 10 seasons played from 1975 to 1987, 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.
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Bill Walton | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | |
| Points | 6th | +300th | 18th | +300th |
| Rebounds | 27th | 294th | 24th | 230th |
| Assists | 163rd | +300th | 105th | +300th |
| Steals | 96th | +300th | 55th | +300th |
| Blocks | 56th | 100th | 53rd | 104th |
| Years | 21 | 10 | 15 | 4 |
Dirk Nowitzki vs. Bill Walton | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | |
| Points | 59th | +300th | 28th | +300th |
| Rebounds | 181st | 40th | 61st | 100th |
| Assists | +300th | +300th | +300th | +300th |
| Steals | +300th | +300th | 276th | +300th |
| Blocks | 228th | 17th | 188th | 43rd |
The 3-point shot was implemented in the 1979-80 season.
* Some years in Bill Walton's career don't have data for these stats.
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: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 6th | +300th | +294 | 31,560 vs. 6,215 | 25,345 |
| Rebounds | 27th | 294th | 267 | 11,489 vs. 4,923 | 6,566 |
| Assists | 163rd | +300th | +137 | 3,651 vs. 1,590 | 2,061 |
| Steals | 96th | +300th | +204 | 1,210 vs. 380 | 830 |
| Blocks | 56th | 100th | 44 | 1,281 vs. 1,034 | 247 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 237th | +300th | +63 | 1,468 vs. 1,103 | 365 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 6th | 187th | 181 | 10,021 vs. 3,820 | 6,201 |
| Field Goals Made | 8th | +300th | +292 | 11,169 vs. 2,552 | 8,617 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 8th | +300th | +292 | 23,734 vs. 4,900 | 18,834 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 20th | +300th | +280 | 1,982 vs. 0 | 1,982 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 23rd | +300th | +277 | 5,210 vs. 4 | 5,206 |
| Free Throws Made | 9th | +300th | +291 | 7,240 vs. 1,111 | 6,129 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 18th | +300th | +282 | 8,239 vs. 1,683 | 6,556 |
Games and Years: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 5th | +300th | 1,522 vs. 468 | 1,054 | |
| Seasons | 3rd | +300th | 21 vs. 10 | 11 | |
Triple-Doubles: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 205th | 109th | 96 | 2 vs. 5 | 3 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 62nd | - | 20 vs. 0 | 20 | |
| 50+ point games | 50th | - | 2 vs. 0 | 2 | |
| 60+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 18th | +300th | +282 | 3,663 vs. 528 | 3,135 |
| Rebounds | 24th | 230th | 206 | 1,446 vs. 444 | 1,002 |
| Assists | 105th | +300th | +195 | 360 vs. 145 | 215 |
| Steals | 55th | +300th | +245 | 149 vs. 32 | 117 |
| Blocks | 53rd | 104th | 51 | 129 vs. 83 | 46 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 83rd | 272nd | 189 | 212 vs. 95 | 117 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 7th | 168th | 161 | 1,234 vs. 349 | 885 |
| Field Goals Made | 21st | +300th | +279 | 1,220 vs. 230 | 990 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 21st | +300th | +279 | 2,642 vs. 438 | 2,204 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 62nd | +300th | +238 | 149 vs. 0 | 149 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 63rd | +300th | +237 | 408 vs. 1 | 407 |
| Free Throws Made | 10th | +300th | +290 | 1,074 vs. 68 | 1,006 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 14th | +300th | +286 | 1,204 vs. 101 | 1,103 |
Games and Years: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 54th | +300th | 145 vs. 49 | 96 | |
| Playoffs | 17th | +300th | 15 vs. 4 | 11 | |
Triple-Doubles: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | +300th | 39th | 0 vs. 1 | 1 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 20th | - | 7 vs. 0 | 7 | |
| 50+ point games | 9th | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
| 60+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 59th | +300th | +241 | 20.74 vs. 13.28 | 7.46 |
| Rebounds per game | 181st | 40th | 141 | 7.55 vs. 10.52 | 2.97 |
| Assists per game | +300th | +300th | 2.40 vs. 3.40 | 1.00 | |
| Steals per game | +300th | +300th | 0.80 vs. 0.81 | 0.02 | |
| Blocks per game | 228th | 17th | 211 | 0.84 vs. 2.21 | 1.37 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | +300th | 125th | +175 | 0.96 vs. 2.36 | 1.39 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 54th | 9th | 45 | 6.58 vs. 8.16 | 1.58 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 91st | +300th | +209 | 7.34 vs. 5.45 | 1.89 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 102nd | +300th | +198 | 15.59 vs. 10.47 | 5.12 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | 271st | +300th | +29 | 1.30 vs. 0.00 | 1.30 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | 216th | +300th | +84 | 3.42 vs. 0.02 | 3.41 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 69th | +300th | +231 | 4.76 vs. 2.37 | 2.38 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 107th | +300th | +193 | 5.41 vs. 3.60 | 1.82 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Dirk Nowitzki | Bill Walton | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 28th | +300th | +272 | 25.26 vs. 10.78 | 14.49 |
| Rebounds per game | 61st | 100th | 39 | 9.97 vs. 9.06 | 0.91 |
| Assists per game | +300th | +300th | 2.48 vs. 2.96 | 0.48 | |
| Steals per game | 276th | +300th | +24 | 1.03 vs. 0.65 | 0.37 |
| Blocks per game | 188th | 43rd | 145 | 0.89 vs. 1.69 | 0.80 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | +300th | 240th | +60 | 1.46 vs. 1.94 | 0.48 |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 11th | 41st | 30 | 8.51 vs. 7.12 | 1.39 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 51st | +300th | +249 | 8.41 vs. 4.69 | 3.72 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 58th | +300th | +242 | 18.22 vs. 8.94 | 9.28 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | +300th | +300th | 1.03 vs. 0.00 | 1.03 | |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | +300th | +300th | 2.81 vs. 0.04 | 2.78 | |
| Free Throws Made per game | 10th | +300th | +290 | 7.41 vs. 1.39 | 6.02 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 23rd | +300th | +277 | 8.30 vs. 2.06 | 6.24 |
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.