Dirk Nowitzki knew Luka Doncic was destined for greatness right away

Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic are arguably the two greatest players in the history of the Dallas Mavericks franchise. Sadly for their fans, the pair only got to play for just one season. Nowitzki once admitted that he hoped to have played longer with the current Mavs superstar.

Doncic's rookie campaign coincided with Nowitzki's swan song, and by that time, the German sensation was already way past his prime. He averaged 7.3 points per game that year, marking only the second time he failed to reach double-digits in average scoring.

The Mavs also suffered in the standings in the 2018-19 campaign, finishing 14th in the Western Conference with a 33-49 record. It wasn't all bad for the organization, though, because it witnessed Nowitzki enjoy an unofficial farewell tour. Not to mention, it saw Doncic's superstar potential early on.

Dirk Nowitzki gushed about watching a rookie Luka Doncic

According to the 2007 NBA MVP, he enjoyed watching his former teammate take the league by storm at such a young age.

The European legends were in Slovenia to take part in Goran Dragic's charity farewell game. During a press conference, Nowitzki shared some details on how his lone season with Doncic went, saying that none in the Mavs organization knew how good the then-wunderkind was going to be despite being EuroLeague MVP.

However, they only needed one practice session together for Nowitzki to see that "Luka Magic" was destined for greatness.

According to the 46-year-old hoops icon, Doncic played beyond his years (like a 35-year-old), had a wicked basketball IQ, and understood how to handle big moments. Incredibly, Nowitzki also admitted not needing to mentor the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year.

After only his sixth season in the league, Doncic is already in elite company, as ESPN included him in its list of the top 25 players of the 21st century. It's worth noting that he is the only entry to have been drafted after 2014. The bold ranking just shows that he has a legendary career ahead of him.

As Nowitzki said, no one knew for sure where Doncic would end up in the NBA's pantheon of all-time greats. But after five (and counting) All-Star and All-NBA First-Team berths, the Slovenian sensation's legend will only continue to grow.

Next on his list probably are an MVP award and a championship, two things that Nowitzki has in his collection that Doncic will surely love to get a hold of.