Nowitzki: Porzingis is 'way better than I was at 20'

Is Kristaps Porzingis the next Dirk Nowitzki? The answer is no according the future Hall of Famer' Nowitzki, but not for the reason you might think.

Nowitzki actually thinks Porzingis will be a better NBA player than he ever was. Let that sink in for a moment. Nowitzki spoke about the Knicks' rookie star after the Dallas Mavericks defeated the New York Knicks 104-97.

"He’s probably way ahead of the curve. When I was 20, I was scared to death out there," Nowitzki said. "He’s almost averaging a double-double, so he’s way better than I was at 20. So the comparison’s probably unfair to me."

The Latvian-born Pozingis scored a game-high 28 points in the Knicks' loss. Despite New York losing the game, Nowitzki's praise for Porzingis continued.

"The sky’s the limit for this kid, not only because he’s good but also because I heard he lives and breathes basketball," Nowitzki added. "He stays in the gym, he works hard and doesn’t let all this hype here get to his head. You’ve to root for him."

After years of frustration, the Knicks finally appear to have something special in Porzingis.