Dallas Mavericks forward Luka Doncic has quickly established himself as one of the most exciting young players in basketball. It appears the Mavs rookie has already made quite the impression on power forward Dirk Nowitzki.

Luka Doncic has been an international star basketball player for quite some time now. According to Rob Mahoney of Sports Illustrated, Nowitzki feels Doncic has the heart of a matador:

Dončić may have been born to play basketball, but he lives to put on a show. “We’ve said from day one, he’s almost like a matador,” Nowitzki says. “He loves playing off the crowd, loves to make spectacular plays.” Trying is its own form of daring. Dončić will take step-back threes against Kevin Durant with the game on the line and attempt lobs over some of the tallest players in the league. Then, if he fails, he will shrug and try again. Carlisle, one of the most meticulous coaches in the league, even encourages it. “The thing with a player like Luka: If you restrict him too much, you’ll take away some of his greatest gifts,” Carlisle says. “I can’t do that. We can’t do it.”

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Earning such high praise from a future Hall of Famer is certainly no small feat. More importantly, there is certainly plenty of truth to Nowitzki's comments. Luka Doncic seems to have a knack for playing to the crowd and delivering when they want it most.

There was plenty of speculation regarding the hype surrounding Doncic in the 2018 NBA Draft. There were many who felt his game would not translate coming from overseas. Furthermore, concerns about his athleticism raised further questions about his ability. However, he has quickly proven to be as good as advertised.

His dynamic skill set is not only effective, but it is quite a sight to behold. Luka Doncic is rather crafty for a rookie, and his ability to score from almost anywhere on the court makes him a threat at all times. His showmanship will undoubtedly endear himself to fans.