Dirk Nowitzki Reflects on Being Luka Doncic's Mavs Teammate

It didn't take long for Dirk Nowitzki to be impressed by Luka Doncic when they were Dallas Mavericks teammates.

Dirk Nowitzki wasn't teammates with Luka Doncic for long, but the Dallas Mavericks legend was immediately impressed by what he saw from the young star.

The instant NBA success doesn't come as much of a surprise when considering Doncic was the 2017 EuroLeague MVP and named All EuroLeague First-Team after leading Real Madrid to the Liga ACB championship with averages of 16.0 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. 

In addition to his EuroLeague success, Doncic helped Goran Dragic to lead Slovenia to the EuroBasket 2017 title in Istanbul, Turkey as well. It was the first-ever tournament win for Slovenia.

Doncic began his NBA career during the 2018-19 season in what was also Nowitzki's last. During a recent press conference at EuroBasket 2022, Nowitzki reflected on his time playing alongside Doncic.

“Usually guys come in, and they are raw and develop, and with experience and hard work they just take that next level,” Nowitzki said. “But to me, the way he already reads the game and makes decisions, off the pick-and-roll, when to pass and when to shoot. He is already playing like a 30-year-old. I have been super impressed. From day one, he came in just reading the game, his basketball IQ is just on another level.”

Doncic made an immediate impact for the Mavericks after the team acquired him in a draft night trade for the No. 3 overall pick. He averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.0 assists en route to winning the Rookie of the Year award.

Doncic has taken his game to an even higher level over the last three seasons of his career, earning three consecutive All-NBA First-Team nods. He has averaged 28.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists in his most recent three campaigns. 

Perhaps most impressive of all about Doncic's career has been his elevated impact in the postseason. His average of 32.5 points per game trails only Michael Jordan in career postseason scoring average. It doesn't hurt that he's coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance either. 

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You can follow Grant Afseth on Twitter at @GrantAfseth.

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