SUMMARY
- Luka Doncic and Dirk Nowitzki played together for the Mavericks during the 2018-19 season.
- Nowitzki retired in 2019 after which Doncic assumed the role of the Mavericks' leader.
It has only been six seasons since Luka Doncic joined the league and had already accomplished several accolades and milestones. Starting with his style of play, Doncic resembles one athlete who previously competed for the Dallas Mavericks for 21 seasons, Dirk Nowitzki. The European legend also had a similar start to his career as well.
There are levels to basketball, and every one of them are below where Luka Doncic is right now.
Unbelievable.
— HeroOfTheDay (@Hero_OfThe_Day) April 1, 2024
Both individuals experienced great success as professionals playing overseas. And the transition into the NBA seemed seamless. In fact, Luka Doncic wasn’t even the most sought-after player in his draft class. Doncic resembles Nowitzki in several ways. He has a rather slow but effective jumper, a consistent three-point shot, and defends to a certain extent. Luckily, Doncic got to play his first season alongside Dirk which was a passing the torch moment.
Dirk Nowitzki’s only ring gives him an edge over Luka Doncic
Yes, Nowitzki has far more accolades on his resume at the moment while Luka Doncic has less than half of them. Setting aside their achievements overseas, Dirk had his jersey number (41) retired by the Mavericks after winning a title in 2011, a Finals MVP and League MVP as well. Nowitzki had 14x NBA All-Star, 4x All-NBA First-Team, 5x All-NBA Second-Team, and 3x All-NBA Third-Team selections.
The former Mavericks champion was also added to the 50-40-90 club in 2007. He was a three-point contest champion and NBA Teammate of the Year. Luka Doncic was named the 2019 Rookie of the Year and made the All-Rookie First Team that year. He has had 4x All-NBA First Team and 5x NBA All-Stars selections already. At this pace, he might outrun Nowitzki with ease, given that he wins a title before retiring.
Luka Doncic remains steady by producing big numbers
There are few things that Luka Doncic is far better at doing than the Mavericks ever was. Doncic is an exceptional playmaker. Since entering the league, he has averaged 8.3 assists per game while Nowitzki put up only 2.4 assists per game throughout his career. And even though Dirk was praised for being a great shooter, he’s never had the same spark Doncic carries from deep. Dirk has never made more than 1.3 three-pointers per game in his career, while Doncic averages four makes per game this season alone.
In terms of scoring, Luka Doncic still seems far better than his mentor has ever been. Nowitzki’s best season saw him average 26.6 points per game. Since the 2019-20 season, Doncic has not averaged below 27 points per game. And in the ongoing season, he has put up 34 points per game. Nowitzki currently ranks 6th on the all-time scoring list. Hopefully, Doncic plays long and remains healthy enough to surpass everyone else behind and ahead of his predecessor.