Jason Kidd: Luka Doncic 'is better than Dirk,' in 'atmosphere' of Jordan
Luka Doncic's historic week has Jason Kidd placing him among the greatest to ever play the game.
The Mavericks coach said his 24-year-old superstar has already cemented himself as the best player in franchise history, surpassing Dirk Nowitzki, and believes he's entering Michael Jordan's stratosphere.
"You can't take this young man for granted," Kidd, who was Nowitzki's teammate for five seasons, said in an interview on 97.1 The Freak's "The Downbeat" in Dallas. "He's better than Dirk. He's in the atmosphere of MJ, the best to ever do it, LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant]. And 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. 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."
Kidd's claim that Doncic has surpassed Nowtizki as the best Maverick comes on the heels of his 73-point performance against the Hawks this past Friday, which was the most points scored in an NBA game since Bryant scored 81 against the Raptors. He shot 25 of 33 from the field in that game, adding 10 rebounds and seven assists.
That wasn't the only game Doncic has put up video game-like numbers recently. One day later, he scored 28 points and 17 assists in a loss to the Kings. On Monday, he collected 45 points and 15 assists in a win over the Magic.
Prior to the 28-point output against the Kings on Saturday, Doncic had a six-game streak of scoring 30-plus points. He's now second in the league in scoring (34.7 points per game) and third in assists (9.6 assists per game), making him the only player in the league to rank in the top five in both categories.
Doncic's extraordinary efforts haven't all translated into wins for the Mavericks, though. They've gone 4-6 this month with Doncic in the lineup, falling from a playoff spot to a play-in spot in the Western Conference standings. With fellow All-Star guard Kyrie Irving sidelined by a thumb injury of late, Doncic has carried an even greater offensive load than usual and played at least 43 minutes in each of the past three games.
Kidd trusts that his generational talent can handle the burden and is confident the four-time All-NBA first-team selection will eventually lead the franchise to a title.
"MJ is the same way. MJ didn't make it until [he was 28]," Kidd said. "This young man who's 24 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 and not just, you know, win one, but he will win multiple when it's all said and done."
