Jason Kidd: Luka Dončić 'in Atmosphere' of Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić is undoubtedly one of the brightest young stars in the NBA today, and his head coach Jason Kidd believes he's already worthy of being in the conversation with some of the greatest players of all time.

"He's in the atmosphere of [Michael Jordan], the best to ever do it, LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant]," Kidd said during a radio appearance on Tuesday, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "And so just to appreciate what this young man's doing at the age of 24, [it] is something that Dallas has never seen."

Kidd also declared that Dončić has surpassed Dirk Nowitzki as the best player ever to wear a Mavericks uniform. The Hall of Famer and Kidd were teammates when Dallas won its lone NBA championship in 2011.

"I've said this internally: He is better than Dirk," Kidd said. "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 bold comments come after Dončić's 73-point explosion in Friday's win over the Atlanta Hawks. It was the highest-scoring performance in the NBA since Bryant's historic 81-point game.

Dončić has been shouldering a substantial load for the Mavs in the absence of Kyrie Irving, who has been sidelined with a sprained right thumb. He rested just five minutes total in a back-to-back on Friday against Atlanta and Saturday against the Sacramento Kings.

The 24-year-old is averaging 34.7 points, 8.6 rebounds and 9.6 assists this season for the Mavs, who are tied for first in the Southwest Division with a 26-21 record. While Dončić is still searching for playoff success, Kidd pointed out that Jordan also hadn't won a championship at this stage in his career, so he's confident that Dončić will eventually be able to break through.

"This young man is 24 and is breaking all the records that stand in front of him," Kidd said. "He's a winner, and his ultimate goal is to win a championship. And he will get there and not just win one, but he will win multiple when it's all said and done."