Dirk Nowitzki has cemented his place in basketball history for his role in revolutionizing the "stretch big" in the NBA. It's no surprise, then, that fans are fiercely protective of the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame inductee.Case in point: Netizens came to the German superstar's defense after former Dallas Mavericks guard Shane Larkin claimed that Alperen Sengun, not Nowitzki, was the "best center" that he'd ever played with. The fan reaction to Larkin's take was so intense that he had to post a clarification on his X account."I said… Dirk was a 4 man. A PF. Stop trying to create madness," Larkin tweeted.Shane Larkin @shanelarkinLINKI said… Dirk was a 4 man. A PF. Stop trying to create madness.At the start of his five-year NBA stint, Larkin spent the 2013-14 season playing alongside Nowitzki. At that point, the former Finals MVP was comfortably set in the power forward position as the Mavericks also had big men Samuel Dalembert, Brandan Wright, and DeJuan Blair on their roster that season.On the other hand, Larkin can hardly be blamed for the praise that he's sending Sengun's way. The 6-foot-11 center made his first All-Star appearance this past season after playing a pivotal role in the rise of his young Houston Rockets team as a playoff contender.On Wednesday, Sengun and Larkin helped Turkey pull off a stunning 93-73 win over Latvia in the opening stage of the 2025 EuroBasket tournament. Performances like this validate Larkin's opinion about Sengun, a player that he believes to be headed towards top 10 status in the NBA.It's likely, however, that Larkin will choose his words more carefully next time so that he doesn't unintentionally offend fans of his iconic Dallas teammate from years past.Viral clip shows Dirk Nowitzki doing TikTok dance with woman identified as his nieceOn the court, Nowitzki was one of the most intense competitors during his time. In his retirement, though, the 14-time All-Star has shown a more lighthearted side.This was on full display in a viral TikTok clip showing Nowitzki busting out dance moves with a younger woman that netizens have identified as his niece.This clip may very well have caused Nowitzki's fans to stay tuned to his next internet-breaking dance routines.