“We talk about basketball often, but I don’t need to mentor him” - Dirk Nowitzki on Luka Doncic’s special evolution as player

In just six years, Luka Doncic has already become one of the best players in the NBA and one of the Dallas Mavericks icons. He recorded 36 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in Game 5 of the 2024 WCF against the Minnesota Timberwolves to lead Dallas to the NBA Finals. By the end of the first quarter of that game, the Mavs were already in control and led by double digits thanks to Luka scoring 20 points, including a missile from 32 feet out during a frenetic Mavericks run.

The spirit and momentum in Dallas were high before the finals, and if not for the powerhouse Boston Celtics , the Mavs would have celebrated their second championship in 13 years, perhaps making Doncic one of the youngest Finals MVPs ever.

Franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki took 13 years to win a championship, and it happened after suffering defeat in his first championship series. Knowing the growing pains associated with becoming a perennial title contender, Dirk believes that the Slovenian sensation is on the right path.

"[Doncic] plays like a 35-year-old: wicked basketball IQ; what he sees on the floor I never saw," Dirk Nowitzki told EuroHoops. "He knows how to handle big moments. We talk about basketball often, but I don't need to mentor him. He's an incredible talent and player. It was fun seeing him transitioning to the NBA. The start of something special, we've been witnessing greatness from him."

The transition into the NBA

Doncic entered the pros from Europe. No one expected a big and immediate impact, despite his talent. He had just won the EuroLeague with Spanish giants Real Madrid, and he won the MVP and the Spanish League as well, convincing the Atlanta Hawks to draft him as high as the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft before he was eventually traded.

His rookie year was Nowitzki's final year in the NBA and the beginning of a new era for Dallas, as the German legend passed the mantle from a 40-year-old to a 19-year-old.

Dirk, who had spent 21 years building his legacy in Dallas, was at the tail end of his career. By then, he was averaging just 7.3 points per game. Meanwhile, No. 77 wasted no time making his presence felt, putting up an impressive 21.3 points per game in his rookie season and winning the Rookie of the Year. It was clear the Mavs had found their new cornerstone.

"The transition was pretty smooth for him," Nowitzki added. "I played with him for one year, my last one. We all didn't know how good he was. He was the MVP of the EuroLeague, but that didn't mean anything when he came to the NBA. From the first practice, I knew how he felt about the game."

Creating a legacy

Doncic is the third generation of elite scorers in Dallas since the 1980s; the first was Mark Aguirre. However, No. 77 is rewriting the record books. He has already won four of the top five scoring seasons in Mavs history, and it's only a matter of time before he claims all five.

This past season, he finished as the NBA's leading scorer with an average of 33.9 points per game; no other Mavericks player has ever topped the league in scoring for an entire season — not even Nowitzki, one of the greatest scorers the NBA has ever seen.

The most intriguing aspect is that Doncic isn't always about scoring; his assist average of 9.8 was the second-best behind Tyrese Haliburton (10.9) last season.

The Slovenian is a playmaker as well as a prolific scorer. Considering his stunning pace, it may be only a matter of time before he gets his hands on a Larry O'Brien Trophy. With the addition of Klay Thompson this off-season, Dallas just got one step closer.

Related: Dirk Nowitzki on the possibility of Luka Donic and Nikola Jokic teaming up in the NBA: "I hope that would be in Dallas"