How far can Dirk climb up the NBA scoring leaders chart?

Certain Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki added to his long list of career achievements Monday night when he moved into the top 20 on the NBAs career scoring list. Heres how he compares to the rest of the top 20: Chart represents the total points scored in a season. The wider the shaded area, the more points scored.
Rookie year 5th year 10th year 15th year 20th year

1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar; 38,387

2. Karl Malone; 36,928

The nearly two-year gap from 1993 to 1995 when Michael Jordan first retired and pursued baseball is a rare period in a career that saw seven scoring championships. In the 1961-62 season, Wilt Chamberlain became the only player ever to score 4,000 points in a season.

3. Michael Jordan; 32,292

4. Wilt Chamberlain; 31,419

At his current pace, Nowitzki would have to play eight more seasons when he would be 42 to have a chance to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBAs all-time scoring leader.

5. Kobe Bryant; 28,834*

6. Shaquille ONeal; 28,596

7. Moses Malone; 27,409

8. Elvin Hayes; 27,313

9. Hakeem Olajuwon; 26,946

Oscar Robertsons highestscoring season came in 1963-64, when he finished with 2,480 points and also led the NBA with 868 assists, one of six times to lead the league in assists.

Nowitzki will be 34 years old in June and after this season has two years left on his contract. If he maintains his average of 1,753 points per season, hed surpass No. 10 Oscar Robertson on the list by the end of the 2013-14 season.

10 Oscar Robertson; 26,710 10.

11 Dominique Wilkins; 26,668 11.

12. John Havlicek; 26,395

Bostons John Havlicek scored 1,322 points in his last season in 1977-78, joining Wilt Chamberlain and Michael Jordan as one of only three on this list to finish their careers with a 1,000-point season.

13. Alex English; 25,613

14. Reggie Miller; 25,279

15. Jerry West; 25,192

16. Patrick Ewing; 24,815

Dirk could move past No. 15 Jerry West during the 2012-13 season.

17. Allen Iverson; 24,368

Allen Iverson and Jerry West are the only two players on the list to not have played in at least 1,000 career games.

18. Charles Barkley; 23,757

19. Kevin Garnett; 23,742*

Nowitzki and Kobe Bryant are two of five players among the top 20 scoring leaders to have played their entire careers with the same team. The other three: John Havlicek, Reggie Miller and Jerry West.
Brandon George/Staff Writer; Michael Hogue/Staff Artist

20. Dirk Nowitzki; 23,379*

*Active player