Cuban: Luka is 'better' than Dirk

Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban believes Luka Doncic is already a better player than Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki.

During Monday's episode of "The Draymond Green Show," Cuban didn't hesitate to side with Doncic when asked if the Slovenian star could become the greatest Mav of all time - something Nowitzki apparently agrees with.

"Yes. No disrespect to Dirk," Cuban replied. "Dirk knows I love him to death, right? Dirty and I go way, way back, but Dirk will be the first one to tell you that Luka is better."

Nowitzki spent his entire 21-year NBA career with the Mavs, leading the franchise to its only championship in 2011. He played alongside Doncic for one season before retiring in 2019.

On the "All in Smoke" podcast in December, Nowitzki admitted he initially had doubts about Doncic but was quickly won over.

"As you guys see, he plays like a 32-year-old veteran," Nowitzki said. "How he reads the game, how he carries himself on the court. ... I would love to say I helped him and talked to him about it, but the guy has been a pro since he was like 11 years old, and that's how he plays the game."

Doncic is averaging a career-high 34.0 points, 9.8 assists, and 9.1 rebounds through 65 games this season.