Speaking to reporters for the first time as a member of the Dallas Mavericks, Kristaps Porzingis said he's excited to learn from future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki and is going to bother Dirk a lot this season to pick his brain.

Porzingis grew up idolizing Nowitzki while he was growing up in Latvia. The 23-year-old says he is going to use this opportunity with the Mavs to sharpen his game by shadowing Nowitzki.

“Dirk is a guy I looked up to growing up,” Porzingis said. “I hope we have a lot of time to spend together now that I'm here in Dallas and while he is still playing. So, I will try to use every moment that I can to bother him with some questions and some good stories. It's a great opportunity for me and I'm excited.”

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Like Nowitzki, Porzingis is a 7-footer who can shoot the ball from the perimeter at a very high level. Odds are Nowitzki is going to teach Porzingis his patented one leg fadeaway which is going to make KP pretty much impossible to defend.

Porzingis isn't expected to play this season, as he is still recovering from the ACL tear he suffered last season with the New York Knicks. The Mavs want Porzingis and Luka Doncic to be a dynamic duo for the next decade, so there's no point in rushing Porzingis back for this season.