Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks never doubted that Luka Doncic was their guy.
Somehow, someway, the Real Madrid star fell to the third pick in 2018.
More inexplicably, the Atlanta Hawks actually agreed to trade him to the Mavericks in what might as well go down as one of the most impactful transactions in NBA history.
At his tender age, Doncic has already written his name in history books.
“To do something that’s never been done before, that’s hard to do. There’s been some great players before him. Elgin Baylor and Wilt [Chamberlain], he was in that class, and then he separated himself and made his own class,” coach Jason Kidd said after Doncic’s 60-point explosion vs. the New York Knicks.
Doncic is already one of the most unstoppable scorers the league has ever seen, joining an elite list of players long before reaching his prime.
Per NBA history, only 8 players in NBA history have dropped 3 or more 50+ point games in a season before the age of 25:
- Luka Doncic
- LeBron James
- Kobe Bryant
- Michael Jordan
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
- Rick Barry
- Nate Archibald
- Wilt Chamberlain
Only 8 players in NBA history have dropped 3 or more 50+ point games in a season before the age of 25:
Luka Doncic
LeBron James
Kobe Bryant
Michael Jordan
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Rick Barry
Nate Archibald
Wilt Chamberlain pic.twitter.com/7L0mMhcgBP— NBA History (@NBAHistory) January 1, 2023
That’s some impressive company, for sure.
And perhaps, what stands out the most on this list is the fact that Doncic isn’t a freak of nature athlete like most of those players.
He doesn’t need the flashy moves, the poster dunks, or the breath-taking speed.
Doncic uses his brain, his size, and his handles to control the pace of the game almost at will, and the scariest part is that he hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential.
