The Ultimate Mentor: Luka Doncic 'Already Better Than I Ever Was' - Dirk Nowitzki
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has taken the league by storm since being taken No. 3 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Some have naturally compared Doncic to franchise legend Dirk Nowitzki, despite both being different positions and having different styles of play.
What Doncic has accomplished at such a young has been nothing short of incredible. He appears to be in serious contention for what would be a third All-NBA First-Team nod with averages of 28.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists.
On Wednesday, Nowitzki joined "Shan and RJ" on 105.3 The Fan to discuss a range of different optics. Among the questions asked was about his advice to Doncic about singing a song to himself inside his head as opposed to directing his frustration at referees.
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When describing his mentorship to Doncic, Nowitzki was naturally as humble as he usually is.
"I try to mentor [Luka] a little bit. Obviously, he's so good already. 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."
Nowitzki described how singing a song to himself played a key role in his 2006 NBA Finals run by keeping himself calm and free. Staying poised was been important for his postseason success. In 2011, he started by making 24 consecutive free throws without missing — setting an NBA record.
"There was this thing that I used to try to do," Nowitzki said. "I remember I used to talk a lot about it in the '06 Final run. I said 'Just to take some pressure off myself and get my mind free, I sometimes sing a song.' It helps me calm down and gets me in a good place. I'm not tense and thinking about certain stuff or getting too emotional."
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With how much pressure Doncic faces when having to shoulder his team to victories as the lone superstar, Nowitzki offered his advice to help him to stay focused. The advice seemed to resonate with Doncic, given that he recently brought up, unprompted, how Nowitzki's strategy has helped him lay off the referees.
"So I did tell Luka that secret one time. In tense moments, in moments that you're going to take someone's head off, just smile and maybe interact with your teammates, or put something else in your mind," Nowitzki said. "We'll see if it works, or if it has has worked for him. This kid is so special, I believe the sky is the limit."
The value of having Nowitzki back as an official member of the Mavericks organization is clear, and it could help Doncic achieve his maximum potential as a player. Nowitzki provides a unique perspective that can offer value beyond the traditional sense, and it's already being realized.
