Luka Doncic has been phenomenal ever since he stepped on the NBA hardwood. Thanks to the experience he gathered playing pro in Europe, Doncic was able to display his maturity when assigned the task of leading the team right from his rookie year.
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Since then, the Slovenian has done an exceptional job helping the Dallas Mavericks find success. In the first 4 seasons as the Texas-based franchise’s star, the 6-foot-7 youngster got selected to 3 All-Star Games, 3 All-NBA Teams, and won the Rookie of the Year.
Apart from building a solid resume for himself, Luka even led Dallas to 3 straight playoffs appearance for the first time since 2016. Further, the combo guard even carried the Mavs to make an unexpected trip to the Western Conference Finals for only the 5th time in franchise history.
“Rather have championship”: Luka Doncic
Much like the previous seasons, this campaign too, Luka has been balling out. Playing some of the best in the association, the 23-year-old is one of the legit contenders to win the MVP honours. But, winning the Michael Jordan Trophy isn’t the 4-time All-Star’s priority. Bringing a 2nd NBA championship to the city of Dallas is.
In an interview with New York Times’s Jonathan Abrams, Dallas’ #77 revealed his goals out loud:
“I’d rather have the championship than M.V.P.”
However, if he does ending up bagging the MVP award, it’s certainly an achievement he would be proud of.
“But if you win an M.V.P., it’s amazing, too,” Luka continued.
“I’d rather have the championship than M.V.P.,”
– Luka Doncic
(Via NY Times) pic.twitter.com/48HM8FcUKB
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) February 16, 2023
The Mavs enter All-Star break with 7th best record in the West
7th position with a 31-29 record for a reigning conference finalists team seems rather disappointing. However, the Dallas Mavericks recently added Kyrie Irving to their roster a few weeks back.
In merely his first 4 appearances as a Maverick, the 6-foot-2 point guard has been putting up spectacular numbers – 28.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game.
While Kai has been proving his worth, Doncic has been putting up historic numbers. The first player since Michael Jordan to do so, the European has been averaging 33.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game.
With time, the All-Star pairing of Irving and Doncic will definitely start gelling well. And when their chemistry clicks, the Mavericks are going to be a tough side to defend for any team.
Also Read: Vince Carter Details Why Kyrie Irving Cannot Lead Dallas to the WCF
