Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare Kobe Bryant and Dirk Nowitzki all-time NBA rankings. Explore their historical standing across total and per-game stats, regular season and playoffs. Who ranks higher?
Career comparison / Season by season / Scoring / Stats / Stats Rankings / Games against each other
This in-depth analysis goes beyond basic career numbers to provide an unparalleled look at where Kobe Bryant, with a career spanning 20 seasons from 1997 to 2016, 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, and 3-pointers made as a bonus) for both total and per-game stats, and below, you can then explore in detail all their stats and their historical rankings.
Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| Points | 4th | 6th | 4th | 18th |
| Rebounds | 118th | 27th | 42nd | 24th |
| Assists | 36th | 163rd | 12th | 105th |
| Steals | 17th | 96th | 6th | 55th |
| Blocks | 213rd | 56th | 42nd | 53rd |
| 3-Pointers Made | 30th | 20th | 11th | 62nd |
| Years | 20 | 21 | 15 | 15 |
Kobe Bryant vs. Dirk Nowitzki | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| Points | 16th | 59th | 24th | 28th |
| Rebounds | +300th | 181st | +300th | 61st |
| Assists | 160th | +300th | 125th | +300th |
| Steals | 97th | +300th | 97th | 276th |
| Blocks | +300th | 228th | +300th | 188th |
| 3-Pointers Made | 245th | 271st | 197th | +300th |
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: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 4th | 6th | 2 | 33,643 vs. 31,560 | 2,083 |
| Rebounds | 118th | 27th | 91 | 7,047 vs. 11,489 | 4,442 |
| Assists | 36th | 163rd | 127 | 6,306 vs. 3,651 | 2,655 |
| Steals | 17th | 96th | 79 | 1,944 vs. 1,210 | 734 |
| Blocks | 213rd | 56th | 157 | 640 vs. 1,281 | 641 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 228th | 237th | 9 | 1,499 vs. 1,468 | 31 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 63rd | 6th | 57 | 5,548 vs. 10,021 | 4,473 |
| Field Goals Made | 6th | 8th | 2 | 11,719 vs. 11,169 | 550 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 4th | 8th | 4 | 26,200 vs. 23,734 | 2,466 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 30th | 20th | 10 | 1,827 vs. 1,982 | 155 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 18th | 23rd | 5 | 5,546 vs. 5,210 | 336 |
| Free Throws Made | 5th | 9th | 4 | 8,378 vs. 7,240 | 1,138 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 6th | 18th | 12 | 10,011 vs. 8,239 | 1,772 |
Games and Years: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 16th | 5th | 11 | 1,346 vs. 1,522 | 176 |
| Seasons | 8th | 3rd | 5 | 20 vs. 21 | 1 |
Triple-Doubles: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 25th | 205th | 180 | 21 vs. 2 | 19 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 3rd | 62nd | 59 | 122 vs. 20 | 102 |
| 50+ point games | 3rd | 50th | 47 | 25 vs. 2 | 23 |
| 60+ point games | 2nd | - | 6 vs. 0 | 6 | |
| 70+ point games | 2nd | - | 1 vs. 0 | 1 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | 4th | 18th | 14 | 5,640 vs. 3,663 | 1,977 |
| Rebounds | 42nd | 24th | 18 | 1,119 vs. 1,446 | 327 |
| Assists | 12th | 105th | 93 | 1,040 vs. 360 | 680 |
| Steals | 6th | 55th | 49 | 310 vs. 149 | 161 |
| Blocks | 42nd | 53rd | 11 | 144 vs. 129 | 15 |
| Offensive Rebounds | 68th | 83rd | 15 | 230 vs. 212 | 18 |
| Defensive Rebounds | 25th | 7th | 18 | 889 vs. 1,234 | 345 |
| Field Goals Made | 5th | 21st | 16 | 2,014 vs. 1,220 | 794 |
| Field Goals Attempted | 2nd | 21st | 19 | 4,499 vs. 2,642 | 1,857 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 11th | 62nd | 51 | 292 vs. 149 | 143 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 8th | 63rd | 55 | 882 vs. 408 | 474 |
| Free Throws Made | 3rd | 10th | 7 | 1,320 vs. 1,074 | 246 |
| Free Throws Attempted | 7th | 14th | 7 | 1,617 vs. 1,204 | 413 |
Games and Years: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | 7th | 54th | 47 | 220 vs. 145 | 75 |
| Playoffs | 17th | 17th | 0 | 15 vs. 15 | 0 |
Triple-Doubles: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | +300th | +300th | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 6th | 20th | 14 | 13 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: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 16th | 59th | 43 | 24.99 vs. 20.74 | 4.26 |
| Rebounds per game | +300th | 181st | +119 | 5.24 vs. 7.55 | 2.31 |
| Assists per game | 160th | +300th | +140 | 4.68 vs. 2.40 | 2.29 |
| Steals per game | 97th | +300th | +203 | 1.44 vs. 0.80 | 0.65 |
| Blocks per game | +300th | 228th | +72 | 0.48 vs. 0.84 | 0.37 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 1.11 vs. 0.96 | 0.15 | |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 279th | 54th | 225 | 4.12 vs. 6.58 | 2.46 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 26th | 91st | 65 | 8.71 vs. 7.34 | 1.37 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 16th | 102nd | 86 | 19.47 vs. 15.59 | 3.87 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | 245th | 271st | 26 | 1.36 vs. 1.30 | 0.06 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | 132nd | 216th | 84 | 4.12 vs. 3.42 | 0.70 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 19th | 69th | 50 | 6.22 vs. 4.76 | 1.47 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 28th | 107th | 79 | 7.44 vs. 5.41 | 2.02 |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | Kobe Bryant | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | 24th | 28th | 4 | 25.64 vs. 25.26 | 0.37 |
| Rebounds per game | +300th | 61st | +239 | 5.09 vs. 9.97 | 4.89 |
| Assists per game | 125th | +300th | +175 | 4.73 vs. 2.48 | 2.24 |
| Steals per game | 97th | 276th | 179 | 1.41 vs. 1.03 | 0.38 |
| Blocks per game | +300th | 188th | +112 | 0.65 vs. 0.89 | 0.24 |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | +300th | +300th | 1.05 vs. 1.46 | 0.42 | |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | 268th | 11th | 257 | 4.04 vs. 8.51 | 4.47 |
| Field Goals Made per game | 30th | 51st | 21 | 9.15 vs. 8.41 | 0.74 |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | 20th | 58th | 38 | 20.45 vs. 18.22 | 2.23 |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | 197th | +300th | +103 | 1.33 vs. 1.03 | 0.30 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | 163rd | +300th | +137 | 4.01 vs. 2.81 | 1.20 |
| Free Throws Made per game | 34th | 10th | 24 | 6.00 vs. 7.41 | 1.41 |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | 41st | 23rd | 18 | 7.35 vs. 8.30 | 0.95 |
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.