It’s interesting to know what pushes a basketball player to choose between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. For some, either of the above soccer legends is an inspiration or a role model; for others, it is their style and charisma. However, for the former NBA star, Dirk Nowitzki, it’s something even more interesting, something that makes one better than the other. The Dallas Mavericks legend went with Lionel Messi as his choice for the greatest, but that came along with a subtle jab on CR7. 

Dirk Nowitzki revealed, “I’m a Messi guy. I don’t know how he carries himself or how he plays; he is a little super quick, like super fast.” Ronaldo is one of the fastest players in the game, too. Anyhow, there is one famous celebration of Ronaldo, which Nowitzki is not a fan of. The 2011 champion continued, “Ronaldo to me, the shirt off and the, ‘Hey hey look at me’, it’s just not my style. Messi to me is way more low-key and I could identify more of that.“

Nowitzki still believes Ronaldo is the best to do it, and this is his personal opinion. But the 45-year-old sees more of himself in Messi, probably. The Portugal superstar loves to boast his goals and wins with the iconic shirtless celebration. That’s a part of Ronaldo that fans love a lot. Anyhow, it looks like Nowitzki dislikes it. 

Does Dirk Nowitzki see a lot of himself in Lionel Messi? 

Nowitzki was a killer on the court and is known to be one of the best scorers in NBA history. The 2011 championship marked his entry into the Hall of Fame. He single-handedly beat the Miami Heat’s Big 3 in the NBA Finals(4-2) but has always been humble about it. If you notice, that is very similar to that of Messi’s character. Both have won one world championship, and it completed their resume. Messi’s World Cup win came a bit late in 2022. Nowitzki won it way back in 2011. 

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One common aspect in both their championship run was the leadership that they showcased. Messi won the FIFA’s Best Men’s player in 2022, while Nowitzki secured his only NBA Finals MVP in 2011. They were the leading scorers for their respective teams, but more importantly, they had very similar characteristics. Now you know why the German basketball legend chose Messi over Ronaldo. What do you think?

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