Nowitzki on all-time scoring list: 'Trying to catch Jabbar now, since I'm rolling'

Now that Dirk Nowitzki has passed Hakeem Olajuwon as the NBA's all-time leading scorer born outside of the United States, he has his sights set on the very top of the list, regardless of birthplace.

By passing Olajuwon, Nowitzki edged into ninth place and should land in seventh by year's end. As explained in the post below, finishing in the top-five by the end of his current contract, which expires after the 2016-17 season, is a possibility.

For Nowitzki, that bar is too low. He told Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas that he's gunning for the top spot, even if it takes him another 30-plus years:

I'm trying to catch Jabbar now, since I'm rolling. I'll probably have to play until I'm 60 to catch him. (Laughs.) It is what it is. I don't think, at the end of my career, try one or two more years just to move up. I don't think that's anything that's that meaningful. It's really special, but I don't think it's anything to prolong my career. We'll see how long it's fun, see how long the body holds up, and how long I can play at a high level. That's not something I'll keep playing just for that.

Because of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's obscene longevity, Nowitzki has next to no shot at catching him. Even if he scored at his career rate of 22.5, he'd need another 508 games - or an extra four seasons beyond his current contract - assuming full health and no age-related decline.

Nowitzki's performance at age 36 is impressive, but the Abdul-Jabbar quip is just that. The record is going to stand for some time still, as few can dream about a 20-year career, 1,560 games and a 24.6 point-per-game average.

Just for additional context on Abdul-Jabbar's mark, LeBron James has the highest career scoring average among active players at 27.5 points. James currently ranks 25th all-time with 23,319 points and would still need to play another 548 games at that scoring pace to catch Abdul-Jabbar, or this year plus another six.