Dirk Nowitzki passes Shaq to become 6th on NBA's career scoring list
NEW YORK -- Dirk Nowitzki has moved ahead of Shaquille O'Neal into sixth place on the NBA's career scoring list.
Nowitzki made a jumper with 9:53 left in the second quarter of Dallas' game in Brooklyn on Wednesday night, giving him 10 points for the game and 28,597 for his career. O'Neal had 28,596 in his career and is a candidate for induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
The shot that moved Dirk Nowitzki into 6th on NBA's all-time scoring list. Only trails Kareem, Karl, Kobe, MJ & Wilt pic.twitter.com/tgnCd9p0hb
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) December 24, 2015
The Mavs, of course, congratulated their big man with a celebratory tweet:
Once-in-a-lifetime moment for a once-in-a-lifetime player. Congrats @swish41 on becoming 6th! #Legend #Nowitzness pic.twitter.com/bYMvXbxuEr
— Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) December 24, 2015
The Nets, not to be outdone, responded with a very Brooklyn tweet of their own:
.@dallasmavs @swish41 pic.twitter.com/amHyj1rhX4
— Brooklyn Nets (@BrooklynNets) December 24, 2015
Wilt Chamberlain is fifth with 31,419 points.
Nowitzki is eighth on the combined NBA-ABA list, behind No. 6 Julius Erving and No. 7 Moses Malone.
