New York Knicks big man Kritaps Porzingis has shot out of the gate as arguably the best player so far in the 2017-18 NBA season. His dominant play has fueled the Knicks to a surprising 6-5 record despite an inauspicious summer filled with drama within the storied franchise.
Fortunately, there was some good that came out of it after Porzingis got to work out with one of his childhood idols, Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki. According to Newsday's Al Iannazzone, Nowitzki had the highest of praise for the young Knicks star:
“He works extremely hard,” Nowitzki said. “He is so long and his arms are so long. He can shoot from deep easily and can move. He is the real deal.”
It seems strange that this was their first time working out together considering all the similarities between the two. For Nowitzki, it almost had to be like working out with a younger version of himself. As foreign big men that can score from virtually anywhere on the court, there is plenty of wisdom the Mavs legend could impart on ‘The Unicorn.'
The 13-time All-Star has been rightfully dubbed as the greatest European basketball player in NBA history. However, with his career winding down, Nowitzki's praise for Porzingis could very well be a symbolic passing of the torch.
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