Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki joined an elite club by surpassing the 30,000 point mark in Tuesday's match against the Los Angeles Lakers, becoming just the sixth player in NBA history to reach the milestone.
The German sharpshooter earned his 30,000th point on a step back jumper early in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers, then went past the mark on a three-pointer that sent the home crowd into a frenzy with 9:54 left in the first half.
Nowitzki had entered the night 20 points shy of the feat and exploded early to treat the fans who had cheered him during a video tribute.
Mavericks teammates and owner Mark Cuban mobbed Nowitzki during a timeout and the 13-time NBA All Star acknowledged the crowd as his accomplishment was announced.
Nowitzki joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain as the only players to have accumulated 30,000 points.
His big night elicited reactions from around the league.
"I gotta congratulate Dirk Nowitzki on putting up 30,000 points. I'm watching the game right now. Congratulations," LeBron James said on a video tweet.
"There's no way I was missing this moment. Hopefully I can join you at some point, big fella. Salute."
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver also offered his congratulations.
"Throughout his 19 seasons with the Mavericks, Dirk has been a model player and terrific ambassador for our game," he said in a statement.
"This latest accomplishment further establishes his legacy as one of the NBA's greatest players."
Nowitzki scored all of his 25 points - one shy of his season high - in the first half to send the Mavericks to a 31-point lead in the third quarter. This was the Lakers' first visit to Dallas since setting a franchise record on January 22 with a 49-point loss in a 122-73 blowout.
"It's been a crazy ride with a lot of ups and a lot of downs but you guys stuck with me and we hung in there," Nowitzki told the crowd shortly after the final buzzer. "Hopefully, a lot more to come."
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