Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki recently joined The Mom Game podcast, where he discussed what stood out about Luka Doncic during their run together in Dallas...
How important was it for you to be there in that transitional year when Luka Doncic was first joining the scene?“We didn’t really know how good he was going to be when we first drafted him, I think. We knew he was Euroleague MVP and all these things, but he’s gotten better from year to year. This kid has no holes on his offensive game, the shot, the playmaking. The passing, the post-up, the driving. The kid is from another planet, so it’s been so much fun to watch him improve from year to year.
“The way he read the game was already at another level. I didn’t really do a lot for him, but he knows that I’m his No. 1 supporter and I’m always there for him if he needs me.”“Yeah, he basically took over my last year already, the rookie year that he had. The flashes that he showed in some of those games, I knew this kid was going to be special for a long, long time.
“He’s so wise beyond his years, he’s only 23 but he reads the game like he’s in his early 30s. That’s how good he is, that’s how high his basketball IQ is. I’m not even sure there’s much I could tell him, he reads the game much better than I ever did. He’s a point guard and he sees different stuff that I’ve never seen as a big guy, I just wanted to put the ball in the hole. This guy actually has to worry about all these four guys that he has to get involved and run plays.
“The Mavs want me involved a little more, so that’s why you guys probably saw me on social media. I was there at almost every practice in training camp, they wanted a little bit of my input. Talked to [Jason] Kidd every now and then, talked to management so I was around a little more. Now that the season started, we’ve done some traveling last few weeks so I haven’t been around as much as I wanted to. For me, it’s actually a sweet spot now, I’ve got to say.
“For me, this is great. I can watch the games, we go to practice when I’m here. I can give them my input, I can tell them what I see. Sometimes they send me little clips on defense or offensive clips, I give my input. It’s great, I have freedom, I’m my own boss. I don’t have to report to anybody, so I’m sure that’s in my future that I’m around even more, even take a full-time position but for now I enjoy my freedom so much while the kids are still so young.
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