The ongoing relationship between Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks was clarified a bit by the all-time great. Nowitzki officially has the title of “special advisor,” but he downplayed his duties in a recent interview with Cesare Milanti of EuroHoops.

“Advisor is really an interesting word, I’m not advising that much. There were some shifts in the General Manager position, they asked me if I wanted to be involved. They had good people in place to do some jobs, J-Kidd is a good friend of mine. We talk basketball all the time, it’s not like I go to the gym every day. An advisor is probably a little strong word,” Nowitzki clarified.

Dirk Nowitzki also spoke on a potential union between Mavericks star Luka Doncic and another superstar, Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets.

“I hope that would be in Dallas,” Nowitzki said. “I’m not sure if that will ever happen, but obviously both are two of the best players in the world. If now the best players in the world. They both have a great relationship with each other, they respect each other and like each other genuinely. They spend time with each other. I’m not sure, but of course, we want Luka in Dallas as long as we can. Hopefully, he finishes his career there, but I love Jokic’s game, how he plays the game with passion, and the skill level as a big is unbelievable. They’re both incredible players.”

Dirk Nowitzki's role, legacy and future with the Dallas Mavericks

Dirk Nowitzki gives his speech as he is inducted into the 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame at Symphony Hall.
Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

It seems relatively common in the NBA that long-time veterans like Dirk Nowitzki will be given special advisory roles. And who can blame front offices for wanting to keep their best players in the building or keep those players engaged with the organization?

When the Mavericks brought in Luka Doncic, it must have been a thrill for him to keep Nowitzki available to him. Their careers overlapped for one season, but a continuing mentorship is invaluable.

Nowitzki spoke about how he saw firsthand how special Doncic would be immediately.

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“The transition was pretty smooth for him. I played with him for one year, my last one. We all didn’t know how good he was. He was the MVP of the EuroLeague, but that didn’t mean anything when he came to the NBA. From the first practice, I knew how he felt about the game,” Nowitzki said, per Eurohoops.com.

Doncic has a long way to go to catch Nowitzki's long legacy and he might get there eventually.

Nowitzki was a 14-time All-Star, 12-time All-NBA selection, MVP winner, and named to the NBA's 75th anniversary team. And of course, he led the Mavericks to a world championship in 2011.