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“I look at Luka Doncic as a young Picasso”: While giving out some high praises, new Mavs coach Jason Kidd managed to draw comparisons between the Slovenian MVP and the famous artist

Advait Jajodia
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"Finally, the league has a coach who can shut down Luka Doncic": John Hollinger takes a shot at Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd

During Media Day, Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd compared Luka Doncic to the world-famous artist – Picasso.

Luka Doncic is undeniably a phenomenal talent. In only 3 seasons as a pro in the NBA, Doncic has racked up a pretty impressive resume at the young age of 22. With 2 All-Star appearances, 2 All-NBA appearances, Luka is easily amongst the best players in today’s league. And will for sure be one of the future faces of the league.

The past 2020-2021 season was pretty terrific for the 6-foot-7 guard, individually. After putting up 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8 rebounds on a 48/35/73 shooting split, he helped the Dallas Mavericks to enter their 2nd consecutive trip to the postseason.

Somehow, the 22-year-old managed to elevate his game furthermore during the playoffs, averaging an incredible 35.7 points, 10.3 assists and 7.9 rebounds, while almost upsetting the Los Angeles Clippers.

Also Read: When Rihanna dissed Stephen Curry on Instagram after 2016 NBA Finals

Right after the Mavs’ 2020-2021 campaign came to an end, Luka not only managed to lead his national squad to their first-ever Olympic Games appearance, he even put up 23.8/9.7/9.5 to finish 4th at the prestigious event upsetting a few top nations like Japan, Argentina and Spain during the course of the tournament.

“Luka Doncic loves to win, I look at him as a young Picasso”: Jason Kidd

Ahead of their upcoming season, during Media Day, the newest Dallas Mavericks coach Jason Kidd spoke about the benefits of coaching a player as talented as Luka. Apart from lauding the 22-year-old, Kidd surprisingly compared him to Picasso.

Now, during the course of his professional career, Doncic has received numerous compliments but no praise could be as bizarre as comparing him to a world-famous artist. However, Kidd did manage to explain his take.

 “I look at Luka as a young Picasso. (He’s) someone who’s very talented loves to win and understands how to play the game at a very high level.

“As a coach, I don’t know if anybody told Picasso that he had to use all the paints. But I just want to remind Luka that he can rely on his teammates, and his teammates are going to be there to help him.”

It seems as if Kidd doesn’t want Doncic to carry a lot of the team’s burden this year too. This is why he reminded Luka to trust his teammates in sharing the load.

Also Read: When the Rockets star put the young Lakers legend on a poster in the Playoffs

With the added pressure of being ranked as the 4th best player entering the new season (according to ESPN), Luka will surely hope and strive to make it past the first round of the postseason this year with a change in the coaching style.

About the author

Advait Jajodia

Advait Jajodia

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Advait Jajodia, an NBA and Tennis journalist for The SportsRush, has had a passion for both sports for over a decade. His admiration for Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry, and Rafael Nadal pushed him to gain a profound understanding of the sports. With a background as a multi-sport athlete, Advait uses his experience on the hardwood and the court to offer insightful analysis. Over three years of dedicated sports journalism has equipped the 22-year-old with a unique perspective, reflected in his prolific portfolio of 4,500+ articles.

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