just have no reason to particularly like Dirk, and have never never met anyone who loves him, who wasn’t German or a Mavs fan.

As for the silly article you posted, it’s one (random European) dude’s opinion, and it only includes active players. Many, many other NBA players have been loved more than Dirk. Even this article doesn’t make the outrageous claim that he’s the most beloved player of all time, simply that he’s #2 among active players (which I of course disagree with).

I’ll grant that he probably isn’t hated by opposing fans the way some other big stars are, having won only one title and playing for a franchise most fans don’t care about; maybe that’s what you really mean by “beloved.” But the vast majority of basketball fans I know don’t care about Dirk, and they certainly don’t love him.