Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic played only one season together on the Dallas Mavericks, but they still developed a great relationship even in their short time as teammates.
The foundation of their friendship is respect, as Nowitzki revealed in his latest appearance on The Bill Simmons Podcast. However, Doncic had to earn that respect from Dirk, who tested the youngster right on the very first day of practice with the Mavs ahead of the 2018-19 season.
According to Nowtizki, he fouled Doncic hard and even talked trash to him just to see what he's really made of. Simply put, the Mavs legend was impressed by what he saw from the Slovenian.
“… The first day [Doncic worked out with other Mavs players], he plays a little bit, and I remember he was already, like, super cool and giving passes. I’m kind of giving him a look like — I got to test him a little bit, right? So, I fouled him pretty hard one time and then he’s at the free throw line … and I’m like I’ve got a little something for this young guy. So, I’m giving him a little trash talk and I was like, ‘There’s no way you’re making these two free throws,'” Nowitzki shared, per Dallas Morning News.
“And he literally just smiled at me, didn’t say anything, and he knocked those two free throws in. So, I think he gained respect right away by his composure, by how mature he was as a 19-20 year old, how he sees the floor, how he reads the pick-and-roll situations. I mean, he’s so far ahead of his time already and ahead of his age that it’s actually really scary. We were surprised the minute we saw this kid on the floor in Dallas.”
Considering Dirk Nowitzki's reputation, it's pretty surprising that he intentionally hurt Luka Doncic and even tried to get him off rhythm with his trash-talking. After all, he was one of the most well-liked players in the NBA when he was still active.
Doncic, being experienced from the EuroLeague, probably knows Dirk was testing him and knew how to handle the situation.
Still, it's pretty great to know the story between Dirk and Luka, especially since Nowitzki retired knowing someone will continue carrying the torch for him to lead the Mavs to the promised land.
For the second straight year, Doncic has led the Mavs to the playoffs. Dirk is certainly proud of that.
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