Reese Loses It: Is Dirk Nowitzki A Top All-Time NBA Player? + NBA Award Finalists

Reese, Kmac, Pam and Alex discuss whether Dirk Nowitzki being ranked No. 17 on ESPN’s all-time 76 list is too high, too low, or just right, which other players Reese believes are misranked and discuss the NBA award finalists.

Dirk Nowitzki is on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, and in the ESPN ranking he lands at No. 17 overall on their “76 players ranked” list. Reese hates it. Is Dirk ranked, too high, too low or just right? What other players does Reese think are incorrectly ranked?

The 2025-26 NBA awards finalists are headlined by the MVP race between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nikola Jokić and Victor Wembanyama. Gilgeous-Alexander led the Oklahoma City Thunder to elite success, Jokić continues his all-around dominance for the Denver Nuggets, and Wembanyama’s two-way impact for the San Antonio Spurs has him in contention for both MVP and Defensive Player of the Year, where he’s joined by Chet Holmgren and Ausar Thompson.

The Rookie of the Year race between Cooper Flagg, V. J. Edgecombe, and Kon Knueppel is wide open, while Most Improved finalists Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Deni Avdija and Jalen Duren highlight player development. The remaining awards, featuring names like Anthony Edwards and Jamal Murray for Clutch Player and coaches J. B. Bickerstaff and Joe Mazzulla, underscore a league balancing established excellence with rising young talent.