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Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd has boldly claimed that Luka Doncic is better than his former teammate and fellow Mavs great Dirk Nowitzki.
On Tuesday, Kidd appeared on the Downbeat on 97.1 The Freak and likened the 24-year-old star to Michael Jordan and other NBA legends.
‘I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it, you know, for as long as I’m here, you can’t take this young man for granted,’ Kidd said. ‘He’s better than Dirk. He’s in the atmosphere of MJ, the best to ever do it. LeBron, Kobe.’
The statement came days after Doncic broke the franchise scoring record with a 73-point outburst against the Atlanta Hawks. The previous record was also held by Doncic at 60-points, with him and Nowitzki tied for third with respective 53-point performances.
His incredible feat tied Doncic for the fourth-highest point total in NBA history. Joining him in the ᴅᴇᴀᴅlock are David Thompson and Wilt Chamberlain, twice.
Jason Kidd insisted that 24-year-old Luka Doncic is better than Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki
Here’s a clip from The Downbeat this morning as Jason Kidd joined @badkaratemovie @MikeSirois and @ktfuntweets Listen to The Downbeat every morning 6-10am. And catch all of their segments below or anywhere you get your podcasts pic.twitter.com/foKoqtMtbg
— 97.1 The Freak (@971TheFreak) January 30, 2024 
Doncic broke the Mavericks’ franchise scoring record with a 73-point outburst against Atlanta
Although Nowitzki was not as prolific of a scorer as Doncic is, he was the face of the Mavericks until Doncic was drafted in 2018. The power forward also led Dallas to the NBA тιтle in 2011 with Kidd as his point guard. After 21 seasons, Nowitzki called it a career in 2019.
When questioned about his bold comparisons, considering Doncic is yet to reach a conference final, Kidd cited how Jordan did not start winning тιтle until later in his career.
‘MJ is the same way, MJ didn’t make it until his 30s,’ Kidd said. ‘This young man is 24 and is breaking all the records that stand in front of him.’
‘He’s a winner and his ultimate goal is to win a championship and he’ll get there. Not just win one, but he will win multiple.’
Nowitzki led Dallas to their first and only NBA тιтle in 2011 with Kidd (R) as his point guard
Doncic already recorded 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 3,000 ᴀssists before turning 25
Doncic has undoubtedly earned the praise with his undeniable impact at such a young age. In December, he became the sixth-youngest player to reach 10,000 career points.
On Monday, Doncic scored 45 points against the Orlando Magic and joined LeBron James as the only players to record 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds and 3,000 ᴀssists before turning 25.
‘What this young man is doing at the age of 24 is something that Dallas has never seen,’ Kidd reiterated. ‘He does things that Dirk could never do and now is the opportunity of getting the right people around him to ultimately win a championship.’
