LeBron James Sends Lovely Message to Nowitzki After Statue Unveiling

• LeBron James praised and congratulated Dirk Nowitzki after his statue was unveiled
• The statue of the Dallas Mavericks icon was unveiled on Christmas morning before they played the Los Angeles Lakers
• Nowitzki brought the first NBA title to Dallas when they beat James and Miami Heat in 2011

Los Angeles superstar LeBron James waxed lyrical about Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki whose statue was unveiled before the two teams battled in a Christmas Day clash.

Although the Lakers lost the game, James couldn't help but heap praises on the 44-year-old German who once beat James in the NBA finals in 2011.

James and the Lakers suffered their fourth defeat in a row despite starting strong in the first half. A 51-point quarter from the Mavericks effectively won the game for the hosts, per ClutchPoints.

The Lakers mounted a spirited comeback in the fourth quarter but lost 124-1115 in the end. James continued with his impressive performances, scoring a team-high 38 points.

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LeBron on Nowitzki

Speaking after the game, LeBron praised the 2007 NBA MVP for the statue, declaring him one of the best international players of all time.

The four-time NBA champion said he knew what the statue was going to look like before it was unveiled on Christmas morning, per SI.

"Dirk is a legend. He is an icon. I think he is the greatest international player ever,"

James then brilliantly explained how the 44-year-old revolutionized basketball naming him alongside some of the game's greatest players.

"He revolutionized what a stretch-four big looked like. Put the ball on the ground, finish above the rim, in his earlier years. He just mastered that in between game as his career got a couple years down the line."

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Nowitzki stunned James and the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, beating the big three of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in six games. The loss remains one of James' worst in the finals.

Nowitzki statue unveiled

Sports Brief earlier reported on Nowitzki statue being unveiled before the Mavericks inflicted another defeat on the Lakers.

The nearly 24-foot statue was unveiled on Christmas morning. Nowitzki and his son Max pushed the lever before the white bronze statue was revealed.

The statue is a sculpture of the German's famous one-legged jumper. The shot became known as "The Dirk" while Nowitzki climbed to the sixth spot on the NBA's all-time scoring list.