Nowitzki, the best Maverick and the quintessential NBA international superstar, is just like the rest of us. I can't take my eyes off Luka Doncic.
“There's something different about this kid,” Nowitzki said, shaking his head.
Twenty-six years ago, Nowitzki arrived in Dallas from Wurzburg, Germany, as a shy, 7-foot-tall 20-year-old, but now he has a variety of skills the team covets. But in 1998, he was more of a mystery than a certainty, and the Mavericks were struggling with eight consecutive losing seasons. A generation later, he's a Hall of Famer and faces a new reality as the NBA's most valuable foreign-born franchise player.
When the All-NBA team is announced, it will be the fourth consecutive season that international stars will make up the majority of the first team. This is the second consecutive season that four of the top five players, Doncic (Slovenia), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), were raised outside the United States. . It's also key that a man hoisting his MVP trophy in six consecutive seasons would symbolize the globalization of this sport. And soon Victor Wenbanyama will be really comfortable.
Over a quarter of a century, these players have evolved from novelty to glamor to indispensability. Most of the time, we view them through a red-white-blue lens and wonder what succeeding in America means to them and their country. But I have a better question. What does it mean for an NBA team to have this kind of global superstar? The benefits of a player who works hard to import global interest into the league and export passion for its product. How do you understand it, let alone measure it?
I spent most of the regular season answering those questions. The Mavericks are ideal to study since Nowitzki has taken on this mission since he landed in Texas, learning from his experience and adopting a strategy that mirrors the efforts of the league office and many teams in the NBA. It was a team.
Nowitzki and Doncic overlapped for one season and were able to transition from one European phenomenon to the next fairly seamlessly. Nowitzki was the Mavericks' Most Valuable Player in 2000, his third season in the NBA. Doncic, who has matured beyond the age of 25, quickly became that man. Add that up and the Mavericks have spent 24 seasons as the international face of the franchise. During this time they made the playoffs 19 times. They won at least 50 games 14 times. The team had previously played 20 seasons and made the playoffs only six times.
The Mavericks were once the obligatory team needed to represent a large market, but for the most part, competitiveness has been an afterthought. Today, it is a respected brand in the expanding basketball world. Their world-class scouting power has long been a strength, dating back to the days when Donnie Nelson ran basketball operations. Former Nike executive and current general manager Nico Harrison hasn't given up on that approach. The current roster includes eight players born outside the United States.
“The biggest change I've seen in the NBA is that teams, players and fan bases no longer care about where players come from,” said Kim Bochny, the NBA's longtime head of international basketball operations. Ta. “Initially, there was a feeling that this was America's game, that the best players were all from America, and that it should stay that way. I've seen that change. I've seen that evolve. I've seen it and I think it's great that we're where we are today.”
The Mavericks' success coincided with the tenure of owner Mark Cuban, who purchased a majority stake from Ross Perot Jr. in January 2000. Cuban invested in the Mavericks even though they were already in good shape with a core of Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Steve Nash. It has delivered a franchise like never before, energized the fanbase, and generated ambition that continues even after selling control of the team a few months ago.
Nowitzki remembers how bad things used to be. The Mavericks did not have a dedicated practice facility. They trained in a fitness club. He and Nash had hoped to get some more practice time in the evening, but they had to wait for a break in the men's rec league game.
“We're going to go out there, play some easy hose, shoot a few threes, and then it's going to be another game,” Nowitzki said. “I'm like, 'Okay, we're in the NBA.' This isn't right. 'Yes, the franchise has come a long way. But really, the entire NBA has. is.”
Doncic has benefited from evolution, but he's also here to amplify the growth of his game. Cuban and Nowitzki agree that Doncic is the best talent in team history. What qualifies him for the mythical title of “Greatest Maverick” is up for debate, but the crown isn't all that important to Nowitzki. He sees Doncic, a 6-7 point guard, control the flow of the game's offense and influence everything with his purposeful style. Nowitzki's name ranks sixth on the all-time scoring list, fitting perfectly between Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain. But he wasn't a power forward who started, facilitated and finished plays the same way Doncic did.
“His offensive game really has no holes,” Nowitzki said.
Nowitzki became an analyst.
“He can play right or left,” he said of Doncic, who averaged 33.9 points, 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds this season, becoming the first Dallas player to lead the league in scoring. “He's got the step back that you need to make plays. Once you get on his shoulders, you're at his mercy. He's so strong that he'll run you back. He's got the wit game and the floaters and everything. He's got all the moves on the block, like the up-downs and the turnarounds… even the one-legged players. He's shooting. It's really impossible to stop this kid in a one-on-one situation. That's how good he's gotten.
“And the thing is, you have some good scorers and if you trap them, you can take them out of the game. But you have to be careful because he's a very good passer. He's very smart with his passes. So you can't just turn people on him like crazy. He has all the answers to the puzzles.”
Now in his sixth season, Doncic is in the ecstatic phase of his NBA career. He's always been driven to win, but the pressure to do so isn't as high right away. The Mavericks have had a good run with Doncic. On Sunday, they begin a first-round playoff series against the Los Angeles Clippers as the No. 5 seed. They made the postseason in four of Doncic's six seasons, had one deep run and reached the Western Conference Finals in 2022. This slow-starting team looks similar to the team from two years ago. The Mavericks now have more athleticism and defensive versatility, especially after making several moves at the trade deadline to add big men Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington. The acquisition of Kyrie Irving last year provided Doncic with an efficient, high-scoring veteran.
The process of putting the right team around Doncic required diligence and ingenuity. The same goes for the team's efforts to maximize global interest in a player who has been in the public eye since turning professional at age 16. Prior to the NBA, he played in the EuroLeague for Real Madrid. When Doncic came to the Mavericks, the organization quickly learned that he was a huge presence in Slovenia, Spain, and throughout Europe.
Becca Genekoff, the franchise's social media manager, helped improve the Mavericks' various accounts. They currently rank among the best in the NBA in attracting fans. Doncic's popularity generates what she cheerfully describes as “absolute madness.” Her 73 points against the Atlanta Hawks in January gave her the second-highest social engagement of the season, behind Irving's outrageous left-handed game-winning hook shot against the Denver Nuggets. The buzzer beater was broadcast on national television. She seemed to come out of nowhere as Doncic tied for fourth in league history in points.
He has rare charisma, and the Mavericks enjoy finding ways to emphasize that. During his interviews, he is quieter than the younger Nowitzki. He answers many of the first questions in the shortest sentences possible, and when asked more questions he sometimes speaks for 10 seconds. However, in informal situations his personality comes out. His on-court demeanor includes intense banter with his officials and cheerful facial expressions and gestures.
“He's having a lot of fun playing,” Genekov said. “This guy is just a kid. There's a reason they call him 'Luka Magic.' People are into it. Some people in this sport take themselves too seriously, but he doesn't. It's contagious. ”
During a home game against the Boston Celtics in January, the Mavericks hosted Slovenian Night for the third time. The NBA has grown from simply holding ticket promotions to accommodate fans of international players to celebrating the league's diversity with full-scale events. The NBA currently has offices in 17 markets around the world, and this year's season-opening roster included a record 125 international players representing 40 countries. The goal isn't just to make players feel welcome. It's about respecting and collaborating with those who represent the culture that enriches the NBA.
In Dallas, “I Feel Slovenia Night” included a visit from Iztok Milošić, Slovenia's ambassador to the United States.
“I started hearing about this kid in Slovenia when he was a little kid, maybe 13 years old. He was kind of a cool wonder back then,” Milosic said of Doncic. “Look at him now. He's the biggest Slovenian brand in the United States. There's no doubt about it.”
And Mavericks is such a big brand in Slovenia that Connor Terry, the company's head of corporate sales, was stunned when he visited five years ago. He thought he had been invited to some meeting. Upon arriving, he discovered he was the keynote speaker. He was also scheduled for a fireside chat.
“It was incredible,” Terry said. “I wasn’t prepared for the frenzy there.”
When Milosic met Cuban during a game that January, they talked about collaborating.
“It's not just a big thing for Luka,” Cuban told him. “It's a big deal for the Mavericks.”
Doncic had a triple-double in the loss, recording 33 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists, with a special Slovenian cheer squad from the suite and a Slovenian group called the Dunking Devils providing halftime entertainment. .
“I played poorly,” Doncic said. “I missed a lot of layups. I don't think it was my night.”
After four nights, he scored a 73.
As the international face of the NBA's first franchise, Nowitzki led the Mavericks to global prominence. Doncic might make them even better.
