Recently-retired Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki spoke to NBA TV to give his two cents on several topics including the insane rookie season his teammate Luka Doncic had.
The Mavs forward gushed particularly at how advanced Doncic's feel for the game and basketball IQ is, describing it as like having the mind of a 10-year veteran and is simply ‘out of this world'.
"I've never seen anything like it."
– Dirk on @luka7doncic's rookie season with the @dallasmavs. pic.twitter.com/V5NhDNY16H
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 13, 2019
Then again, Doncic is no ordinary rookie. The Slovenian phenom signed with Real Madrid after just becoming a teenager then making his professional debut a few years later competing against some of the best the EuroLeague has to offer (the second best league just behind the NBA). He ultimately led the Spanish ball club to a championship, earning an MVP award (the youngest to ever win it) along the way. As you can probably see, his path is a lot different than the average draft pick is accustomed to. In some ways, it is similar to his Mavs mentor Nowitzki who was a young basketball savant in his own right.
Despite being hounded by “bust” accusations heading into the draft and before he could even set foot on an NBA court, Doncic immediately proved his critics wrong. The 6-foot-7 guard performed admirably in the clutch using his famed stepback jumpers, became the second youngest ever to register a triple-double (finishing with eight), and nearly became a team captain for the All-Star Game.
The sky is the limit for Doncic, and Nowitzki will gleefully enjoy the ride from the distance.
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