Like the rest of us, Dallas Mavericks icon Dirk Nowitzki is impressed by how 19-year-old Mavs rookie Luka Doncic has already made a name for himself in the NBA.

Per Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Nowitzki said:

“He’s made a name for himself. Any time you’re known by just your first name after just a few months in the league, that’s a great sign.”

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For those following the super rookie, Dirk Nowitzki's observations are true. Commentators, fans, and analysts alike address Doncic by his first name, Luka. A quick recollection of basketball history would show that the greats were called by their first name: Magic, Michael, Kareem, Kobe, LeBron, just to name a few.

A quarter into the long NBA season, Doncic is already a top favorite to win Rookie of the Year honors. And it seems that every game, the former EuroLeague MVP is bent on showing why he deserves to play in basketball's biggest stage.

In the Mavs' 122-119 win on Wednesday over the New Orleans Pelicans, Doncic was one rebound shy from a triple-double. He finished with team-high 21 points, 10 assists, and nine rebounds. For the season, he's averaging 19.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 4.9 assists per game.

As Luka Doncic gains more experience and adds to his already-superior basketball IQ, hoops heads will hear his first name more frequently. Several nicknames would probably arise in an attempt to capture his magic. But at the end of it all, they would probably call him by his first name.