Mavs Coach Jason Kidd Predicts Multiple Luka Doncic Titles: ‘He’s Better Than Dirk’
DALLAS — Luka Doncic is producing another historic season, earning his fifth All-Star appearance and fourth consecutive All-Star starter nomination. The Dallas Mavericks superstar has averaged 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 9.6 assists on the season, including a 73-point performance against the Atlanta Hawks.
Coming off Doncic recording 45 points and 15 assists in a win over the Orlando Magic, Mavs coach Jason Kidd appeared on Dallas radio station 97.1 The Freak's "The Downbeat" on Tuesday. Kidd emphasized the importance of not taking what Doncic is doing on a nightly basis for granted.
"I've said this before, and I'll say it, you know, for as long as I'm here, is you can't take this young man for granted," Kidd said of Doncic.
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Kidd stated Doncic is already better than Hall of Fame player and franchise icon Dirk Nowitzki, stating he's in the conversation with players including Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant.
"He's better than Dirk [Nowitzki], he's in the, in the, in the atmosphere of MJ [Michael Jordan], the best to ever do it, LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant]," Kidd said of Doncic. "So just to appreciate what this young man's doing at the age of 24 is something that Dallas has never seen.
"I've said this internally, he is better than Dirk," Kidd said of Doncic. "He does things that Dirk could never do. And now it's the opportunity of getting the right people around him to, ultimately, win a championship."
Nowitzki humbly described Doncic as "already better now than I ever was" during a radio appearance on "Shan and RJ" on 105.3 The Fan in April of 2022.
"I try to mentor [Luka] a little bit. Obviously, he's so good already," Nowitzki said in 2022. "He's already better now than I ever was," Nowitzki said. "He's so mature already that it's hard for me to tell him something because he's so good and so mature already. Certain things that I see, I talk to him about it, and he seems to be open for it."
The furthest Doncic has gone in the playoffs was the Western Conference Finals in 2022, but Kidd is confident that the Slovenian superstar will win multiple championships during his career. Kidd used Jordan winning titles later in his career as an example of what Doncic could achieve.
"MJ is the same way. MJ didn't make it into his 30s. This young man is 24 and is breaking all the records that stand in front of him, and he's a winner. His ultimate goal is to win a championship, and he will get there, not just win one, but he will win multiple when it's all said and done."
The Mavs have some work to do to build the necessary roster for Doncic to have the assistance needed for a superstar to lead a championship run. With a 26-21 record, Dallas ranks seventh in the Western Conference standings but has experienced significant challenges in staying healthy while having a list of roster needs that include perimeter size at the forefront.
