Avery Johnson spent 16 seasons in the NBA. Towards the tail end of his career, the "Little General" got the opportunity to play for the Dallas Mavericks and be around Dirk Nowitzki .
At that time, Dirk was beginning to blossom into an All-Star. While traditional power forwards back then played with their backs to the basket, the German had more of an outside game. Still, what stood out to Avery about Nowitzki was his personality and incredible work ethic.
"It was like I was looking at another Tim Duncan but with a different type of game," Johnson said on The Mark Jackson Show. "The greatest stretch four in the history of the game, Hall of Famer. You're talking about the same DNA, it's amazing. One was more of a stretch four that improved his game, post up a little bit more, allowed me to coach him, unbelievable teammate, but the same work ethic."
Dirk was a jump-shooting seven-footer
When Dirk first came to the NBA, he was a jump-shooting seven-footer. Nowitzki's stroke was so good that he became a star based on it alone. However, he needed to become a more complete offensive player to take his overall game to the next level.
Johnson saw a glimpse of Dirk's greatness when the two were teammates. However, it was two years later, when he became the Mavs' assistant coach, that Avery started working more closely with the legendary forward, witnessing his insatiable work ethic.
"Late nights in the gym, twelve, one, two o'clock in the morning, shooting that shot," added Avery. "We would have practice. He would have his own practice for two hours, but it's amazing how things turn out when you have that work ethic."
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Nowitzki retired as an all-time great
Avery was later promoted to head coach, and in 2006, he helped Dirk reach the NBA Finals for the first time in his career. However, the Mavs blew a 2-0 series lead and lost to Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat in six games.
It was a tough loss to swallow, but Nowitzki later said that the setback only made him work harder and helped prepare him for success.
"Maybe it was even a good thing for me as a player to lose that series in '06," Dirk said . "Come out of it as a better player and human being, and be smarter when the game is on the line. I took that one on the chin in '06, I took it rough, and I put a lot of blame on myself. I had to regroup, keep working, and ultimately, it paid off."
Dirk won the regular season MVP in 2007 and continued to improve as a player. As a result, he led the Mavericks to a stunning upset of the Big 3 Heat in the Finals four years later, winning the organization's first-ever NBA championship.
Nowitzki played 21 seasons in Dallas, the most of any player with a single franchise. In his Hall of Fame speech last year, he thanked the "Little General" for helping him become a complete player.
Related: Dirk says Dallas got 'little lucky' they beat Miami in 2011: "We're a little fortunate we caught them on the early side"
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