Mavericks’ Luka Doncic and Hall-of-Famer Dirk Nowitzki shared a single season together in 2018-19, yet their bond extends beyond basketball. They recently attended Game 2 of the ongoing MLB World Series, supporting the Texas Rangers while donning the team’s gear. Unfortunately, the Rangers suffered a 9-1 defeat at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who secured victory with a strong performance in the final inning. The series now stands at 1-1, with Game 3 set to take place in Arizona on Monday.

During their time together, rookie Doncic played alongside Nowitzki in the latter’s final NBA season, marking a transition of leadership within the Dallas team. Despite this, the two have developed a friendship built on mutual respect and support both on and off the court.

Nowitzki, who spent his entire 21-year NBA career with the Mavericks, achieved great success, including a championship title in 2011. He maintained impressive career averages of 20.7 points, 2.4 assists, and 7.5 rebounds.

Meanwhile, Doncic has made a strong start to the current NBA season, delivering remarkable performances with averages of 41 points, 11.5 rebounds, 8.5 assists, and a steal per game. The Mavericks have opened their campaign with two consecutive victories, showcasing Doncic’s prowess.

Reflecting on their time together, Nowitzki expresses his delight at having had the opportunity to witness firsthand the exceptional talent of Luka Doncic, recognizing him as a special player, particularly during their shared season in Dallas.

Dirk Nowitzki (L) and Luka Doncic (R) played for only year in Dallas in the 2018-19 NBA season.

In an interview with Eurohoops.Net a couple of years ago, the German superstar shared his experience of playing alongside ‘The Don’ during the latter’s rookie year in 2018.

“We’ve developed a great relationship of course,” Nowitzki said. “It’s a little sad that I only got to play with him for one year. He’s such a special talent. So good at reading the floor already at 21-22, an unbelievable all-around game. I would say he’s better than me now than I’ve ever been in my prime. That’s how good he is at 22 already.”“It’s been a pleasure to be around him, he’s a good kid, he wants to do well,” he added. “So that’s been fun and we’ve had a good relationship and we stay in touch. I’m always there for him if he needs something or has a question, if he’s going through something, obviously, I’ll try to help him out.”

In his final year with the Mavericks in the 2018-19 season, Nowitzki averaged just 7.3 points and 3.1 rebounds in limited playing time. Doncic, meanwhile, averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, six assists and a steal that year.