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Dirk Nowitzki has told Luka Doncic endless tales of his heyday as the franchise player for the Dallas Mavericks, stories of his failures and the ultimate success that saw him conquer the lauded 2011 Miami Heat team for his lone NBA championship.
Yet the likely Rookie of the Year has very little interest in them, according to Dirk:
“Every time I mention the past, he's like ‘you're so old, you're so old,'” said Dirk Nowitzki. “He doesn't listen. He's a young man, but he's got an old soul, I guess. He doesn't want to hear some old stories.”
Luka Doncic’s response when Dirk tries to regale him with tales from the Mavs’ title run: “You’re so old.” But Kristaps Porzingis peppers Dirk with questions. “Porzingis shows a little more respect towards me than Luka does,” Dirk says with a smile. pic.twitter.com/lni7plOXPn
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) March 28, 2019
In contrast, new teammate Kristaps Porzingis can't get enough of Dirk's glory days, peppering him with more questions about his heyday and what it takes to win a championship:
“Porzingis shows a little bit more respect for me than Luka does,” Dirk Nowitzki joked. “Luka is reckless at times. But it's been, what, eight years? It's a long time and I'm fortunate to still be in the league.”
Nowitzki's championship story is a good one. Not particularly blessed with multiple rings, but having had to work for his lone one after several disappointments, starting with his dramatic fall from grace after being up 2-0 on the Miami Heat in 2006 to a first-round loss against the Golden State Warriors the next year as a No. 1 seed.
The German international is a penchant story of perseverance and intense focus, one he ultimately channeled into his 2011 victory in a rematch against the revamped Heat.
