The Dallas Mavericks is more than just a franchise for Dirk Nowitzki. The German basketball player treats the Mavs like his family and is arguably their greatest-ever player. So when it was time for another European to spearhead the Mavs campaigns, Dirk was a bit skeptical at first.

On a recent episode of All The Smoke podcast, the Mavs veteran talked about Luka Doncic and his thoughts on how the youngster is leading his career. The 2011 NBA champion said that he wasn’t sure about Doncic at first, but after spending some time around the Slovenian, he understood what the Mavs saw in him.

Dirk Nowitzki’s opinion on Luka Doncic

Sure Nowitzki and Doncic are friends today. They often talk about one another and are always praising each other. The start, however, wasn’t as good as the Mavs veteran was unsure of Doncic’s ability to lead the team. He said that toward the end of his career, he saw a lot of rough patches both individually and as a unit.

So the Mavs thought to introduce someone who could bring fresh energy and will be helpful for the team in the long run. That is when Doncic came into the picture. Fresh out of a glorious career with Real Madrid, he was ready to take charge.

Nowitzki said “We needed a little spark plug” but wasn’t sure if Doncic was that guy. “I didn’t think that was going to be this kid”, he admitted on the podcast. Despite his fair share of doubts, when the team stepped into the practice facility, a young Doncic was able to impress everyone, including the Mavs legend.

He said, “You could already see it. This kid’s got something about him.” Nowitzki is impressed by Doncic to a level where he wishes he could take credit for any of his abilities.

The 14x All-Star said that they’re now friends and go to dinners together whenever he is in town.

Read More: “Making Some Straight Gar-Bage”: Dirk Nowitzki Glorifies “Best Horse Player” Luka Doncic With Hysterical Jab in Rockets Clash

Doncic had Nowitzki pleasantly surprised

Nowitzki said that Doncic has mastered everything down to the T. However, that was not the expectation that the 45-year-old had from him in the beginning. Earlier he saw the 4x All-Star who is a really good player, possessing a good skill, which would be beneficial for the franchise in the long run.

“I didn’t think he was going to get to THAT level,” Nowitzki said. Doncic, however, has been the backbone of the Dallas franchise for many years now. The one thing that is left for him to do is bring yet another championship to his franchise, something that Nowitzki did back in 2011.

Watch This Story: With Luka Doncic and Wife Jessica Olsson in Stands, Dirk Nowitzki Takes on Ex-teammate in an Entirely Different Set-Up