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Which locals joined Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki on ESPN top 100 athletes since 2000 list?

ESPN released its top 100 athletes since 2000, and there were several local athletes on the list.

It’s the dog days of the sports calendar, as none of the four major sports are playing games this week with the MLB on its All-Star break.

ESPN smartly filled the time with a piece that has generated quite a bit of chatter: a ranking of the top 100 athletes since 2000. Michael Phelps, Serena Williams, Lionel Messi, LeBron James and Tom Brady were the top five in that order.

Let’s take a look at which local athletes cracked ESPN’s list, led by Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki.

41. Dirk Nowitzki

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His case to be on this list is quite simple. The German big man changed the game of basketball as a sharpshooting 7-footer, won the 2011 NBA Finals, 2011 Finals MVP, 2006-07 NBA MVP, made 14 All-Star teams and made 12 All-NBA teams.

His iconic fadeaway jumper is immortalized with a statue outside the American Airlines Center. The inscription reads “Loyalty never fades away.” Nowitzki spent 21 seasons in the NBA - all with the Mavericks.

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Surely ESPN putting him at No. 41 on this list - which is also his jersey number - was some intentional irony?

Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) smiles during an interview after winning...
Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) smiles during an interview after winning in game six of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, June 12, 2011. The Mavericks won 105-95 to take the title. Next to him is the Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News) (Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)

18. Patrick Mahomes

The Tyler, Texas native and former Texas Tech star is the highest ranked local athlete on the list.

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For him to be ranked this highly so early in his career speaks to his greatness. Despite being only being drafted in 2017, his six seasons as starting quarterback of the Kansas City Chiefs already have him in lofty territory.

He is already a three-time Super Bowl champion and MVP, two-time NFL MVP, two-time First Team All-Pro and a six-time Pro Bowler. Mahomes, who turns just 29 in September, is on an unprecedented trajectory after only six seasons starting in the NFL.

FILE - Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates with the trophy after the...
FILE - Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes celebrates with the trophy after the team's win in overtime during the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. Mahomes and the Chiefs are aiming to become the first team to three-peat since the 1965-67 Green Bay Packers won three consecutive NFL championships.(Ashley Landis / AP)

31. Clayton Kershaw

Highland Park’s own Clayton Kershaw checks in at No. 31 on the list due to his all-time great pitching career for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

To his name, he has three Cy Youngs, a MVP, 10 All-Star appearances, five ERA titles, a Gold Glove, a World Series and a no-hitter. Kershaw will go down as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. At his peak from 2011-2017, he sported a 118-41 record with a 2.10 ERA.

His career 2.48 ERA is the lowest for a starting pitcher since 1920, fueled largely by his legendary curveball.

Apr 9, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA;  Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw...
Apr 9, 2014; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Clayton Kershaw (22) accepts his Cy Young Award for the 2013 season before the game against the Detroit Tigers at Dodger Stadium.(Jayne Kamin-Oncea - USA TODAY Spor)

39. Kevin Durant

Durant’s local stint was short - he spent one season at Texas - but he has turned into one of basketball’s all-time greats.

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The former Longhorn is a two-time NBA champion, two-time Finals MVP, 14-time All-Star, one-time NBA MVP, 10-time All-NBA, and four-time scoring champion.

Durant is one of the greatest scorers in basketball history. His ball-handling and shooting ability at his height made him an unstoppable scoring force. Durant is arguably the most un-guardable offensive player of his era.

Kevin Durant as a freshman at Texas in 2007.
Kevin Durant as a freshman at Texas in 2007.

46. Max Scherzer

Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer also made the top 50 on the list. “Mad Max” hasn’t spent much time in Texas, but his career accolades speak for themselves. He’s one of the most dominant pitchers of all-time.

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Scherzer has three career Cy Youngs, two World Series titles, eight All-Star appearances, two no-hitters and is top 10 all time in strikeouts. If nothing else, Scherzer was also one of the most intense and fiery competitors the sport has ever seen.

Scherzer was a member of the Rangers’ 2023 World Series team after being acquired from the New York Mets at the trade deadline.

Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (left) and manager Bruce Bochy celebrate their...
Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (left) and manager Bruce Bochy celebrate their World Series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Nov. 1, 2023. (\052021004190\ / Staff Photographer)

51. Steve Nash

Nash is one of the best players to ever put on a Mavericks uniform. He was with Dallas for six seasons from 1998-2004, making two All-Star teams with the Mavs.

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However, he hit his peak after he left Dallas. He won back-to-back NBA MVP awards in his first two seasons after leaving the Mavericks and was one of the greatest passers in basketball history.

Nash is a Hall of Famer, two-time MVP, eight-time All-Star, seven time All-NBA and five-time assist champion. Nash also ranks fifth in NBA history in career assists.

ATLANTA - FEBRUARY 9:  Portrait of Western Conference All-Stars Steve Nash #13 and Dirk...
ATLANTA - FEBRUARY 9: Portrait of Western Conference All-Stars Steve Nash #13 and Dirk Nowitzki #42 of the Dallas Mavericks before the 52nd All-Star Game at Phillips Arena on February 9, 2003 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Jennifer Pottheiser / NBAE/Getty Images)

52. Adrian Beltré

One of the most beloved Rangers in franchise history made ESPN’s list, and deservedly so.

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Beltré, who is being inducted into the Hall of Fame this week, put together one of the most remarkable careers in MLB history.

He is in the conversation for one of the best defensive players the league has ever seen. He racked up five Gold Gloves and two Platinum Gloves. The four-time All-Star also was a force at the plate. He received four Silver Sluggers, hit 477 home runs and is a member of the 3,000 Hits Club with 3,166 career hits.

He joined the Rangers in 2011 and spent the rest of his career in Texas until he retired in 2018.

FILE - Texas Rangers' Adrián Beltré tips his helmet as he acknowledges cheers after hitting...
FILE - Texas Rangers' Adrián Beltré tips his helmet as he acknowledges cheers after hitting a double for his 3,000th career hit that came off a pitch from Baltimore Orioles' Wade Miley in the fourth inning of a baseball game, July 30, 2017, in Arlington, Texas. Beltré will be inducted Sunday, July 21, 2024, into baseball’s Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. (AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez, File)(Tony Gutierrez / AP)
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69. Jason Kidd

The Mavericks have a pretty incredible list of point guards to suit up for the team with Nash, Kidd, Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving and more.

Kidd is a Hall of Famer, and for good reason. He is second on the NBA all-time assist leaders list with 12,091 career assists. On his resume, he has 10 All-Star appearances, won five assist titles, a NBA title, six All-NBA appearances and nine All-Defensive team appearances.

Kidd has taken his basketball acumen into coaching, spending time as the head coach of the Nets, Bucks and Mavericks. He most recently led the Mavericks to the NBA Finals this summer.

Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason...
Dallas Mavericks power forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) and Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) congratulate each other after game six of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, June 12, 2011. The Mavericks won 105-95 to take the title. (Vernon Bryant/The Dallas Morning News) Kidd is holding the Larry O'Brien NBA Championship trophy(Vernon Bryant / Staff Photographer)
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