Luka Doncic gleefully greeted his former teammate and mentor Dirk Nowitzki during the Mavericks’ warmup for Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals. Doncic jokingly rushed Dirk while he was having a conversation on the court. Dirk immediately smiled and started laughing, and the two shared a playful hug before Luka returned to shoot around.
Luka and Dirk in pregame 🥰
Game 3 is LIVE on TNT pic.twitter.com/fPHLn9q8wL
— NBA (@NBA) May 27, 2024
Luka is considered by many as the natural successor to Dirk Nowitzki as the Mavericks’ superstar. Like Nowitzki, Doncic is a European superstar who has become the Mavs’ best player and their centerpiece, while also taking his role as the face of the franchise after Dirk called time on his legendary career in 2019.
Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic were teammates briefly in the NBA. Doncic’s rookie season was Nowitzki’s final season in the NBA. Fans got a brief glimpse of what the two players could do while on the court together, but at vastly different points of their careers, with Luka as a rookie and Dirk as a veteran. Fans in Dallas would have loved to see the two European stars play together in their prime.
This season, Doncic is looking to match Nowitzki’s greatest accomplishment in the NBA; winning the NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks. Dirk shocked the world in 2011 when he led the Mavs to their one and only NBA championship, defeating the Miami Heat with the big three of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Luka and the Mavs are two wins away from reaching the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011. If they can win the series against the Mavs, they will get the chance to bring yet another championship to the franchise. Luka could cement his legacy as a Maverick by winning an NBA championship this year. But it will not be easy.
Can Luka Doncic Bring A Championship To Dallas?
Luka Doncic is close to achieving his dream, and the dream many Maverick fans had when the franchise first landed him. After a successful stint in Europe, Doncic joined the NBA in 2018, getting drafted by the Atlanta Hawks, and being immediately traded to the Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young.
Since then, Luka has been one of the best players in the NBA and a perennial MVP candidate. But he hasn’t found championship success in the league yet. The closest he came was the Western Conference Finals in 2022 when he and the Mavs lost to the eventual champions Golden State Warriors. This season could be a different story, as the Mavericks were able to win two games away from home to take a 2-0 lead.
During these playoffs, Doncic averaged 28.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 9.3 assists during this playoff run. Luka has made some massive shots and plays for the Mavs during this postseason, including an incredible game-winner he scored over Rudy Gobert in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals. Doncic even had some words for Gobert after the shot, feeling himself after an incredible turnaround.
For the Mavericks, they will go as far as Luka can take them. As their best player and their best performer, he will be trusted to carry much of the load for the team. And so, he will be motivated to take them all the way.
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