No one, not even the most optimistic Dallas Mavericks fan ever thought Luka Doncic was going to be this good this fast.
I mean, he was obviously incredibly talented, he was experienced, and the intangibles were there. But Luka Doncic has exceeded all expectations thus far, mostly because he became a rookie superstar right away. There was no adjustment period.
Analysts have even said that once it’s all said and done, there’s a chance that Luka Doncic could go down as the greatest player in NBA history, and while it may seem like a reach right now, they might as well have a valid point.
As a matter of fact, Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki recently claimed that Doncic has already passed him as the franchise’s GOAT and that he’s better than he ever was:
“He already has (…) he’s better than me,” Nowitzki told TMZ Sports.
While we love the fact that Nowitzki is supportive of the next generation and that he didn’t hesitate to pass him the torch, that’s a stretch. C’mon, Dirk led them to two NBA Finals and their lone Championship and scored 31,560 points wearing that jersey.
Doncic’s averages of 25.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game are first-ballot Hall of Famer worthy. He could end up being a top-5, top-3, or even the greatest player of all time; but he’s only been around for 3 years.
Barring injury and given the right supporting cast, we could be having this conversation even sooner than we expect, but let’s not get into this debate right now, come on.
Dirk Nowitzki has always been selfless, humble, easy-going, and down to earth. He’s impossible to dislike and these comments show his true nature. I’m sure that he truly believes what he said. But it’s still way too early.
