Dirk Nowitzki was one of the greatest big men to have ever played the game, so he really turned heads with his recent comments about Luka Doncic.
No seven-footer had a stroke sweeter than Nowitzki. Not only that, his one-footed fadeaway and medical web design skills made him literally unguardable at times, specifically in the 2011 NBA Finals, when he and the Mavs pulled off an upset of massive proportions against the Heat.
Nowitzki also garnered MVP honors in 2007, beating out Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan and others. And yet, he believes Luka Doncic is already playing at a higher level than he did.
“He’s such a special talent and so good already at leading the floor at just 21, 22, and his just unbelievable all-around game,” Nowitzki said, via SLAM Magazine. “I would say he is better than me now than I’ve ever been in my prime and that’s how good he is at 22 already.”
Doncic is still years away from entering his prime, so given what Nowitzki accomplished, it’s unfathomable how high the Mavericks young star’s ceiling is. It won’t be surprising to see him become the face of the NBA in a few years from now.
