It didn’t take long before the world realized that Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic was a once-in-a-lifetime kind of talent.
The Slovenian youngster had already dominated in Europe with Real Madrid, but some still doubted his ability to step up in the NBA.
He responded with one of the most impressive rookie seasons of all time, and he’s only gotten better ever since.
Doncic continues to get praise from current and former legends of the game, including LeBron James, who recently explained what makes him so unique:
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“His size — I mean, he’s gigantic. He’s 6’8” — a 6’8” point guard. He’s 225 pounds; he has the ball on a string. And, more importantly, his vision,” James said on HBO’s The Shop. “That’s what I love, his vision. He can control the game… He doesn’t even have to shoot. He will literally — he will walk the ball up the court ten straight times and get to his spot every single time. Just because of his pace. He knows when he comes off the pick-and-roll if they’re hard-showing or they’re hedging, or if they drop in the pick-and-roll. He knows ‘I can turn the corner, ’cause I got this shoulder. And I know the third line of defense, when I get there, if I just slow down, just slow down, use my pivots, you know — not even jump, just… the Euro… one… two… this guy’s flying by.’ He’s flying by every time, it’s the mind.”
Doncic isn’t the strongest, fastest, or most athletic player in the league by any means.
However, just like LeBron explained, he doesn’t need to be.
It’s all about his basketball IQ, his savviness, and knowing how to make the most of his size advantage to always get to his spot, regardless of what the defense throws at him.
And, perhaps, the most impressive part about his game is that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential.
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