LaMelo Ball vs. Dirk Nowitzki: NBA Rankings Comparison
The ultimate statistical showdown: compare LaMelo Ball 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 LaMelo Ball, with a career spanning 6 seasons from 2021 to 2026, 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.
LaMelo Ball vs. Dirk Nowitzki | ||||
Career Totals |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| Points | +300th | 6th | DNP | 18th |
| Rebounds | +300th | 27th | DNP | 24th |
| Assists | +300th | 163rd | DNP | 105th |
| Steals | +300th | 96th | DNP | 55th |
| Blocks | +300th | 56th | DNP | 53rd |
| Years | 6 | 21 | 0 | 15 |
LaMelo Ball vs. Dirk Nowitzki | ||||
Career Per Game |
Season | Playoffs | ||
| LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | |
| Points | -- | 59th | DNP | 28th |
| Rebounds | -- | 181st | DNP | 61st |
| Assists | -- | +300th | DNP | +300th |
| Steals | -- | +300th | DNP | 276th |
| Blocks | -- | 228th | DNP | 188th |
Note: the season per game rankings on this page respect the minimums usually applied by the NBA for all-time leaders: 400 games with some exceptions for some stats; for the Playoffs a minimum of 3 games is used.
Comparisons on this page: |
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Their rankings for: |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | +300th | 6th | +294 | 5,299 vs. 31,560 | 26,261 |
| Rebounds | +300th | 27th | +273 | 1,495 vs. 11,489 | 9,994 |
| Assists | +300th | 163rd | +137 | 1,895 vs. 3,651 | 1,756 |
| Steals | +300th | 96th | +204 | 364 vs. 1,210 | 846 |
| Blocks | +300th | 56th | +244 | 82 vs. 1,281 | 1,199 |
| Offensive Rebounds | +300th | 237th | +63 | 310 vs. 1,468 | 1,158 |
| Defensive Rebounds | +300th | 6th | +294 | 1,185 vs. 10,021 | 8,836 |
| Field Goals Made | +300th | 8th | +292 | 1,867 vs. 11,169 | 9,302 |
| Field Goals Attempted | +300th | 8th | +292 | 4,451 vs. 23,734 | 19,283 |
| 3-Pointers Made | 277th | 20th | 257 | 774 vs. 1,982 | 1,208 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | 277th | 23rd | 254 | 2,131 vs. 5,210 | 3,079 |
| Free Throws Made | +300th | 9th | +291 | 791 vs. 7,240 | 6,449 |
| Free Throws Attempted | +300th | 18th | +282 | 943 vs. 8,239 | 7,296 |
Games and Years: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | +300th | 5th | +295 | 253 vs. 1,522 | 1,269 |
| Seasons | +300th | 3rd | +297 | 6 vs. 21 | 15 |
Triple-Doubles: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | 60th | 205th | 145 | 11 vs. 2 | 9 |
Rankings by Points Scored: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | 278th | 62nd | 216 | 2 vs. 20 | 18 |
| 50+ point games | 76th | 50th | 26 | 1 vs. 2 | 1 |
| 60+ point games | - | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Totals, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points | DNP | 18th | 0 vs. 3,663 | 3,663 | |
| Rebounds | DNP | 24th | 0 vs. 1,446 | 1,446 | |
| Assists | DNP | 105th | 0 vs. 360 | 360 | |
| Steals | DNP | 55th | 0 vs. 149 | 149 | |
| Blocks | DNP | 53rd | 0 vs. 129 | 129 | |
| Offensive Rebounds | DNP | 83rd | 0 vs. 212 | 212 | |
| Defensive Rebounds | DNP | 7th | 0 vs. 1,234 | 1,234 | |
| Field Goals Made | DNP | 21st | 0 vs. 1,220 | 1,220 | |
| Field Goals Attempted | DNP | 21st | 0 vs. 2,642 | 2,642 | |
| 3-Pointers Made | DNP | 62nd | 0 vs. 149 | 149 | |
| 3-Pointers Attempted | DNP | 63rd | 0 vs. 408 | 408 | |
| Free Throws Made | DNP | 10th | 0 vs. 1,074 | 1,074 | |
| Free Throws Attempted | DNP | 14th | 0 vs. 1,204 | 1,204 | |
Games and Years: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Games Played | DNP | 54th | 0 vs. 145 | 145 | |
| Playoffs | DNP | 17th | 0 vs. 15 | 15 | |
Triple-Doubles: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Triple-Doubles | DNP | +300th | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Rankings by Points Scored: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| 40+ point games | DNP | 20th | 0 vs. 7 | 7 | |
| 50+ point games | DNP | 9th | 0 vs. 1 | 1 | |
| 60+ point games | DNP | - | 0 vs. 0 | 0 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | -- | 59th | 20.94 vs. 20.74 | 0.21 | |
| Rebounds per game | -- | 181st | 5.91 vs. 7.55 | 1.64 | |
| Assists per game | -- | +300th | 7.49 vs. 2.40 | 5.09 | |
| Steals per game | -- | +300th | 1.44 vs. 0.80 | 0.64 | |
| Blocks per game | -- | 228th | 0.32 vs. 0.84 | 0.52 | |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | -- | +300th | 1.23 vs. 0.96 | 0.26 | |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | -- | 54th | 4.68 vs. 6.58 | 1.90 | |
| Field Goals Made per game | -- | 91st | 7.38 vs. 7.34 | 0.04 | |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | -- | 102nd | 17.59 vs. 15.59 | 2.00 | |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | 5th | 271st | 266 | 3.06 vs. 1.30 | 1.76 |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | -- | 216th | 8.42 vs. 3.42 | 5.00 | |
| Free Throws Made per game | -- | 69th | 3.13 vs. 4.76 | 1.63 | |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | -- | 107th | 3.73 vs. 5.41 | 1.69 | |
Career Per Game Averages, | |||||
Stats Rankings: | LaMelo Ball | Dirk Nowitzki | Rk Diff. | Values | Diff. |
| Points per game | DNP | 28th | 0.00 vs. 25.26 | 25.26 | |
| Rebounds per game | DNP | 61st | 0.00 vs. 9.97 | 9.97 | |
| Assists per game | DNP | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.48 | 2.48 | |
| Steals per game | DNP | 276th | 0.00 vs. 1.03 | 1.03 | |
| Blocks per game | DNP | 188th | 0.00 vs. 0.89 | 0.89 | |
| Offensive Rebounds per game | DNP | +300th | 0.00 vs. 1.46 | 1.46 | |
| Defensive Rebounds per game | DNP | 11th | 0.00 vs. 8.51 | 8.51 | |
| Field Goals Made per game | DNP | 51st | 0.00 vs. 8.41 | 8.41 | |
| Field Goals Attempted per game | DNP | 58th | 0.00 vs. 18.22 | 18.22 | |
| 3-Pointers Made per game | DNP | +300th | 0.00 vs. 1.03 | 1.03 | |
| 3-Pointers Attempted per game | DNP | +300th | 0.00 vs. 2.81 | 2.81 | |
| Free Throws Made per game | DNP | 10th | 0.00 vs. 7.41 | 7.41 | |
| Free Throws Attempted per game | DNP | 23rd | 0.00 vs. 8.30 | 8.30 | |
Note: Even if they don't have the minimum of 400 season games, the players are also included in the all-time rankings in some stats if they reach certain thresholds: 10,000 points; 4,000 rebounds; 2,000 assists; 625 steals; 500 blocks; 250 3-pointers made.