Dirk Nowitzki has a peculiar response to why he prefers Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo

Dirk Nowitzki is one of the athletes from the 'humble-club.'

Dirk Nowitzki has a peculiar response to why he prefers Lionel Messi over Cristiano Ronaldo

Lionel Messi and Dirk Nowitzki

NBA Legend and Hall of Famer, Dirk Nowitzki is one of the best power forwards to ever touch the ball. The 7-foot German comes from a football-dominated continent, though his skills on the court happened to shine even brighter. His 21-year career speaks volumes, as he left the league as one of the greatest international players as well as a Mavericks all-time great.

In a recent episode of Kickin’ It, Dirk Nowitzki was asked about whether he was Team Messi or Team Ronaldo. The German surprisingly sided with Team Messi, as he liked the Argentine number 10 more than the world’s most popular athlete.

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I know that's a heated one for everyone. I'm a Messi guy. I don't know, how he carries himself, how he plays, super quick, super fast, Ronaldo to me, with the shirt off, 'Hey look at me'. It's just not my style. Messi to me is way more low-key and I can identify more with that. But I don't wanna take anything away from Ronaldo, this is just a personal opinion.
Dirk Nowitzki said

One of the things that stands out was the German great identifying Lionel Messi as more low-key. Nowitzki was a calm player himself. Unlike others, he wasn’t as aggressive and verbal on the court. However, when the game got tougher, Nowitzki would lock-in, and at the same time, without being an aggressive-looking player. His skillset and fundamentals made his game stand out among all the other players.

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Dirk Nowitzki was a low-key player himself

Nowitzki’s idols included players from Europe like Toni Kukoc, Drazen Petrovic, and others. While these players did have a great career, Nowitzki’s career in the NBA left a mark as the best European player to ever play. The German won his first MVP award in 2007, and his first championship in 2011. All these achievements came in much later in his career, though his impact on the league had been noticeable ever since his sophomore year in the league.

Like Messi, Nowitzki was a humble player who believed in the grind. It is no wonder as to why the German relates more to Messi’s personality. Both athletes have had a major impact on their respective sports and are one of the greatest sports icons in history.

The GOAT conversation in football which is revolved around Messi and Christiano Ronaldo is similar to the Michael Jordan and LeBron James debate. Nowitzki did weigh on the GOAT debate as he sided with MJ as his GOAT over King James.

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