The special attitude of LeBron James and Luka Dončić towards the Slovenian, who is waiting for his idol’s jersey in front of the locker room
The NBA has seen plenty of young prospects quickly heralded as “the next LeBron James” — but in the case of Luka Doncic, the comparison rings truer than ever.
At least that’s what it is James thoughts. “The way he plays the game reminds me of the way I play the game,” the Los Angeles Lakers superstar said during the 2022 All-Star weekend.
Game recognizes game – and the feeling goes both ways.
Dončić does not hide that he adores James. It always is.
In the 2018 NBA draft, he was named the youngest MVP and the Euroleague Final Four MVP.
The 180-meter-tall defender helped Real Madrid win the Euroleague title earlier this year – he already won the European Championship with Slovenia in 2017.
At the age of 19, Dončić was already in full swing basketball a star with many years of professional experience.
Nevertheless, in his debut season with Maverickshe approached his first match against James with the excitement of a little kid going to Disneyland for the first time.
“I’ve been waiting for this game and it was very special for me,” he said at the time.
Despite his long resume and undoubted potential, many were still skeptical of the Slovenian wizard ahead of the 2018 draft.
After all, he is European – and the NBA Euro bias it is real.
The Phoenix Suns took Deandre Ayton with the no. 1 pick and the Sacramento Kings selected Marvin Bagley III right behind him at no. 2 before Adam Silver was able to call Dončić.
The Slovenian would never even play for the team that drafted him, as the Atlanta Hawks famously sent him to Dallas that night in exchange for the rights to Trae Young and a protected 2019 first-rounder.
But James knew immediately new no. Mavericks’ 77 had a bright future when they finally met on the rookie’s “special” day.
Dončić scored 14 points, seven assists and five rebounds when the Mavericks went to LA for a showdown with Lakers.
And during the game, he convinced James to promise him a four-time MVP jersey.
After the Mavericks fell 114-113, the young guard stood in the hallway of what was then Staples Center, patiently waiting for the big gift.
“I always wanted his jersey,” Doncic said at that time.
A team official finally handed him a signed Lakers jersey No. 23 with a message from James that read: “Luke D. God bless and keep striving for greatness.”
Their careers have since been intertwined in various ways.
Dončić was delighted NBA right out of the gate and was averaging 24.2 points per game before his 21st birthday. In all of league history, only James averaged more before turning 21.
The Slovenian has also played for Team LeBron every year since his debut in the 2020 All-Star Game.
And the numbers show that James and Doncic have essentially been the same player over the past three seasons.
Only two players are averaging at least 26 points, eight rebounds and eight assists since the start of the 2019-2020 season: LeBron and Luka.
It’s no coincidence that the Lakers and Mavericks are playing each other on Christmas Day for the second time in three years.
The NBA usually reserves the holiday schedule for very special matchups — like a showdown between the face of the league and its crown prince.
And James has hinted on numerous occasions that he knows Doncic is the one.
“I love everything about his game. I love everything about him,” he said of the Mavs star during this year’s All-Star weekend.
“We’re a triple threat, we rebound, we pass — the most important thing on our minds is to try to keep our teammates engaged, to make our teammates feel good on the floor, to keep our teammates in rhythm.
“And we’ll put 40 on you too if you don’t respect us.”
The game recognizes the game.