Luka Doncic Emulates Michael Jordan, Hits Clippers with ‘MJ Shrug’ After 42nd Point in 2nd In-Season Tournament Game

Luka Doncic Emulates Michael Jordan, Hit Clippers with ‘MJ Shrug’ After 42nd Point in 2nd In-Season Tournament Game

It’s safe to say that Luka Doncic has once again entered the MVP conversations this year with his recent performances in the league. In the Dallas Mavericks’ second In-Season Tournament game against the Los Angeles Clippers, the Slovenian star stunned everyone by obliterating James Harden and co. at American Airlines Center. Doncic ended the night with 44 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. However, his 42nd point of the game was marked by a special celebration that caught fans’ eyes.

Doncic is currently signed with the Jordan Brand on a multi-million dollar deal. The Mavs star has also admitted that he admired MJ’s game growing up. Therefore, Doncic emulating Jordan’s signature shoulder shrug wasn’t really surprising to many, but definitely amusing.

The four-time All-Star ended up paying a tribute to Jordan on Friday’s game against the Clippers by celebrating hitting a deep three in the 3rd quarter with a typical ‘MJ Shrug’. Right after scoring the bucket, Doncic tried to emulate the iconic Jordan celebration as if to say, ‘It’s too easy’. These two clips from the NBA’s official X account and another X user illustrate the resemblance.

Luka Doncic’s stats have been phenomenal this season. The Mavs star currently leads the points average with 32.9 PPG while having 8.9 rebounds and 8.4 assists per game. In this season, Doncic has also recorded two triple-doubles, which makes him a decent MVP candidate for this season. Especially since the Mavericks are currently second on the Western Conference table with a record of 7-2.

Luka Doncic has an incredible track record facing the Clippers

It seems like Luka Doncic knows no mercy when he faces the Los Angeles Clippers in the league. Even before obliterating the LA side in their second In-Season tournament outing, Doncic maintained a marvelous record of 33 points, 8.6 rebounds, and 7.5 assists against the Clippers. The Friday night game was a nightmare for LA, as Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 71 points to guarantee the Mavs a 144-126 win.

Doncic gave the Clippers a run for their money, which caught the attention of many. Former NBA player and ESPN analyst Kendrick Perkins had the best way to describe how the Slovenian obliterated the Clippers during the Toyota Halftime show.

The big man used a belt and a chair as a prop to illustrate how Doncic beats the Clipper every time. Exclaiming Doncic’s performance against LA, Perkins remarked, “That’s what Luka Doncic does to the Clippers!” 

Post Edited By: Satagni Sikder
Luka Doncic Michael Jordan

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Siddid Dey Purkayastha

Siddid Dey Purkayastha is an NBA Journalist at SportsRush, covering the sports for two years. He has always been a lover of sports and considers basketball as his favorite. While he has more than 600 articles under his belt, Siddid specializes in CoreSport pieces with on-point game analysis. He is an ardent fan of the Los Angeles Lakers, since Kobe Bryant's 80-point game made him a fan of the franchise. Apart from basketball, Siddid occasionally watches soccer and takes a fancy in following up with the Premier League in his free time.

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