WATCH: Carmelo Anthony to Mavs Nation: 'I Hope You Guys Appreciate Luka Doncic'
DALLAS - It's might seem a little weird that the reminder is coming from Carmelo Anthony; for whatever reason he's not a particular favorite of Dallas Mavericks followers. But his words - regarding what Luka Doncic is and where he might be taking this franchise - are worth heeding.
“I hope you guys out here in Dallas,'' Anthony said following his Blazers' Friday night loss to the Mavs at the AAC, "appreciate what you have right now in front of you.”
In the visit, 'Melo also mentions the talents of Dallas coach Rick Carlisle and gives a shout-out to Dallas' Kristaps Porzingis, Anthony's teammate in their days with the New York Knicks.
It is the quote shared by Dorothy Gentry of The Athletic, though, that rings true for Mavs fans who enjoyed the 21-year brilliance of Dirk Nowitzki, and hopefully learned to savor every moment, because ... like that ... it was gone.
Now along comes Doncic, an incredible heir to Dirk's throne, all of it happening so fast that there was nary a gap between the historic departure of Nowitzki and and historic arrival of Luka, who is averaging 29 points per game to go along with 9.8 rebounds and nine assists.
After the win over the Blazers, the Mavs moved to 27-15 on the season, and Luka is the centerpiece, this time scoring 35 points to go along with eight rebounds and seven assists, along with his best-ever work from three-point range, shooting 8-for-12 from the arc.
It's a special thing, almost every night. Here's hoping it lasts for decades, as Dirk did. But in the meantime, 'Melo's message is right-on: Embrace this and cherish this. The Luka Doncic Era is worth deep appreciation.
