Luka Dončić
Luka Dončić (born February 28, 1999, Ljubljana, Slovenia) is widely considered one of the best players currently in the National Basketball Association (NBA). His incredible strength, skill, and basketball acumen have helped him excel at most facets of the game, including shooting, passing, and rebounding. The Slovenian-born Dončić plays point guard for the Dallas Mavericks.
Early life
Dončić is the only son of Mirjam Poterbin, a beauty salon owner, and Sasa Dončić, who played professional basketball for 15 years. His parents later divorced. The younger Dončić became interested in basketball at an early age, and he often went to his father’s games.
At age 13 Dončić signed a pro contract with Real Madrid, leaving his family behind to enter the team’s academy in Spain. Coaches later remembered him as someone who liked to be challenged by better, and often older, players. During the 2014–15 season, he made his debut with Real Madrid, and he had a breakout season in 2016–17, averaging 7.8 points, 4.2 assists, and 4.5 rebounds per game in the EuroLeague. In 2017 he and Miami Heat guard Goran Dragić led Slovenia to an upset gold medal at the FIBA (Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur) EuroBasket. Although not known for his quickness, Dončić effectively used his size and strength on the court, and he possessed an uncanny ability to anticipate plays. He later likened the sport to chess.
NBA
At age 19 Dončić entered the 2018 NBA draft after a whirlwind last season with Real Madrid. He averaged 16 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in EuroLeague play in 2017–18, and he helped Madrid win a league championship. Dončić also was named Most Valuable Player of both the EuroLeague and its Final Four championship event. One of the most highly touted players in the draft, he was chosen third overall by the Atlanta Hawks, who immediately traded the 6-foot 7-inch (2-meter) Dončić to the Dallas Mavericks.
During his rookie season (2018–19), Dončić lived up to the hype, averaging 21.2 points, 6 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game. He also had seven triple-doubles (double-figures in points, rebounds, and assists in a single game) and was a near-unanimous choice for Rookie of the Year, receiving 98 of 100 first-place votes. In 2019 the Mavericks’ coach, Rick Carlisle, told The New York Times, “I hesitate to throw out names like LeBron James and Magic Johnson, who have been do-everything kind of stars, but it’s pretty clear now that Luka has many of those same traits and has proven that he can do a lot of those things.”
Dončić had an even better second season (2019–20) as he averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists per game and finished fourth in the voting for the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award; the 21-year-old Dončić became the second-youngest NBA player, after James, to finish in the top five. That year Dončić appeared in the playoffs for the first time, but Dallas was defeated in the first round. He had another strong season in 2020–21, and he helped the Mavericks return to the playoffs. However, for the second consecutive season, the team lost their first series.
Dončić continued to be one of the game’s elite players in 2021–22. He averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists and led the team to the Western Conference finals in the postseason. However, the Mavericks lost in five games to the Golden State Warriors. The next season (2022–23) he had arguably the best game by an NBA player in more than 50 years. In a December 2022 matchup against the New York Knicks, Dončić scored 60 points and registered 21 rebounds and 10 assists. He finished the season with a career-high average of 32.4 points per game, second in the league to Joel Embiid.
Ahead of the 2023–24 season, ESPN ranked him the fourth best player in the NBA, noting that Dončić “has a remarkable blend of a brilliant basketball mind, strength and skill” and calling him “arguably the best offensive player in the game.” That season Dončić made news when he scored 73 points in a game against the Atlanta Hawks (January 26, 2024). It set a franchise record and was tied for the fourth-most points scored in an NBA game.