Dirk Nowitzki No. 9 on scoring list
— -- DALLAS -- No international player has scored more points in the NBA than Dirk Nowitzki.
Nowitzki, the native of Wurzburg, Germany and face of the Dallas Mavericks franchise, moved past Nigerian-born Hakeem Olajuwon into ninth place on the NBA's scoring list Tuesday night.
Nowitzki, a 17-year veteran, entered the 106-98 victory over the Sacramento Kings needing 17 points to pass Olajuwon, the former Houston Rockets center who finished his Hall of Fame career with 26,946 points.
Nowitzki knocked down a midrange jumper with 8:56 remaining in the game to pass Olajuwon.
The sellout crowd at the American Airlines Center gave Nowitzki a standing ovation during the next break in play. He finished with 23 points as the Mavs rallied from 24 back to win.
"Dirk has earned everything he's gotten, and every step up the ladder he takes is a reflection of his effort and his focus," Mavs owner Mark Cuban said before the game. "To be the greatest international scorer ever is an amazing accomplishment. We're glad to have him here."
Nowitzki, who averaged 20.6 points in the Mavs' first seven games of the season, is likely to be the seventh-leading scorer in NBA history within a couple of months. The next players he would pass are Elvin Hayes (27,313) and Moses Malone (27,409).
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