Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic recently revealed that he saw Michael Jordan as his NBA GOAT. After being selected #3 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Doncic has quickly established himself as one of the most dominant players in the NBA. As a result, about nine weeks ago, Doncic signed a 5-year extension with MJ’s Jordan brand, after becoming the first European star to be associated with the company in 2019.
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During a recent press conference sit-down, Luka was asked about his NBA GOAT and all-time favorite starting 5. The Slovenian international showed no hesitation in naming Michael Jordan in response to the first question. However, Doncic claimed that he needed time to think about a starting 5. The clip was posted on Twitter by Basketball on X.
Luka Doncic thinks Michael Jordan is the NBA GOAT
Doncic, born and brought up in the small Eastern European country of Slovenia, is well on his way to becoming one of the NBA’s all-time greats himself. Still only 24, Doncic has continued his development in recent months with the Mavs.
His success in the league led to a contract extension with the Jordan brand, a 5-year deal that can be expected to be worth millions. The company has already released two Doncic sneakers, the Luka 1 and Luka 2. Further releases are expected in the future.
Regardless, Doncic appears to have signed for his ideal company, considering he is convinced of MJ’s GOAT status. Asked about his GOAT pick, Doncic had a simple answer:
“I mean it’s MJ [Michael Jordan]. It’s MJ. I don’t know starting 5. I am gonna have to think it.”
Who’s your greatest player of all time ?
“MJ, It’s MJ”
– Luka Dončić pic.twitter.com/X43pTM1UsN
— BASKETBALL ON (@BasketballOnX) October 6, 2023
This may come just weeks after the Jordan brand extension, but Doncic has always maintained his fandom of the Chicago Bulls legend. He had also claimed that it was a pleasant surprise when he first met MJ and the Bulls legend already knew who he was. The two also embraced at the 2022 All-Star game, suggesting that they have a great working relationship and the utmost respect for each other’s games.
Derek Harper compared Luka Doncic to Michael Jordan
There is little doubt that there are quite a few differences in Jordan and Luka Doncic’s playing styles. While MJ was a combination of power, speed and intensity, Doncic has a bit of an x-factor that makes it seem that he does not need to put in any effort to score his baskets. However, Jordan’s former teammate, Derek Harper, still recently made a comparison between the two:
“I’ve played against Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson… Luka is right in the same breath. He loves to compete. [Doncic] doesn’t back down. People are going to come at you when you’re getting the kind of hype that Luka is getting, he doesn’t go anywhere. I know people think you’re crazy. He’s right there with the best players ever to play, bar none, in my opinion…”
While he did not comment on their playing styles, Harper believes that Doncic has the same kind of winning mentality that the likes of Magic and Jordan possessed. The fact that those kind of comparisons do not appear far-fetched, says a lot about the Slovenian’s obvious qualities.
