Luka Donćić – another Michael Jordan, another GOAT or just another talented kid?
Luka Donćić looks like no one special if you compare him with other NBA players.
201 cm high, about 104 kg weight, nothing special. But since 1989 only Michael Jordan
(when MJ was 25), our GOAT (greatest of all time) has taken 18 straight games with at
least 20 points,5 rebounds and 5 assists. He is not 20 years old, however his
life story is worth introducing.
He was born in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia. His father, Sasa Donćić was a professional
basketball player and his mother was a model and dancer. With such parents, sport has been
with Luka since the first days of his life. He debuted in a professional senior team in 2015
when he was 16. His first club was Union Olimpija. Two years later he was the best player in
Real Madrid. Moreover, he had led his team to the victory in the EuroLeague in 2018.
Additionally, he was most valuable player (MVP) in finals and final four, so we can clearly say
that he was the best player in the whole tournament.
In 2018 Luka joined NBA Draft in which NBA team select and pick new players into their roster.
With the 3rd pick (notice, that this is extremely high) Atlanta Hawks selected Luka Donćić.
After a few hours he was a part of trade between Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks and now
Dallas has this Wonder Boy in their squad. His first words after the Draft ceremony were
“I’m just glad to be here and I’m happy to be with them (Dallas Mavs).”
In the first year in the National Basketball Association, Luka won ROTY (Rookie of the Year
Award- prize for best rookie). That was very optimistic start in the best basketball league in
the world. Now, we can compare him with such great players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant
or Allen Iverson, who also won this award in their first seasons. Luka’s value for his team can be
measured in +/- statistics. Plus/minus statistic measures who scores more. This statistic is
measured for every player. Every match takes at least 48 minutes. Imagine that in the match
between ChicagoBulls and Dallas Mavericks, Luka was on the court for 30 minutes.
While he was playing, his team scored 15 points more than Miami Heat, so his +/- is +15.
At this moment of the season, Luka is the third best player in the whole NBA, right after
LeBron and James Harden in this plus/minus statistics.
If we sum up every match, the count will be +138 and it is still growing.
· Do you think that European basketball players are able to reach the top of NBA?
· If you had one chance to meet a famous sportsman, who would it be?
· What is your favorite young star in sport? (not only in basketball :))
Sources:
It’s definitely hard to say if European basketball players are able to get to the top of the NBA. I’m sure that the NBA is a top league and getting to the top of it may be very hard but not impossible.
ReplyDeleteDue to my age, I think that I’d like to meet Polish ski jumper Adam Małysz. He was my favorite sportsman when I was younger. In my opinion, he is a successful person and he may be inspiring for me. If talking about young stars, I don’t have one person but I admire all young football players with such great careers as young boys.
Now Dawid Kubacki is top of our ski jumpers. Did you watch last Four Hill Tournament? Also David is on the podium since 6 tournaments, so it's worth to watch our ski jumpers in action :)
DeleteAdditionally, I recommend you to watch some NBA game, you will see how European basketball players are good nowadays!
1. It is hard for me to comment on this topic, because I have never been interested in basketball, so I do not know what the road to the NBA people from Europe looks like. I assume that, like most sports, there are people who are looking for new talent. If you are lucky and good, then you should succeed.
ReplyDelete2. Zinedine Zidane :)
3. Now I am not as interested in sport as when I was a child, so I do not have a favorite player of the current generation.
Nevertheless, I can name people who like it: L.Messi, A.Griezmann, Marcelo and many others :)
Most European basketball players used to play here in Europe before move to NBA. They choose Spanish or Greece league, those are the best at the moment. But as you know, not all talented sportsmen are able to travel and practice as much as they should to become a star or just good enough to play in best leagues.
DeleteI'm not a big fan of basketball and don't know much about its intricacies, but achieving anything in an American professional sports league as an overseas player is always quite an achievement. One thing that speaks to Luka Donćić is the fact that basketball is a fairly popular sport in Slovenia, so I assume he already got proper recognition in Europe before his move across the pond. After reading about his career, I am starting to believe that soon he may become the second most recognizable Slovenian in the US, right after the First Lady.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of famous sportsmen, I've always wanted to meet my childhood hero - Ryan Giggs, the most-decorated footballer in British history, presumably the greatest Welsh sportsman of all time and undoubtedly the greatest left winger the English Premier League has ever seen. In today's sport my favourite youngsters are Marcus Rashford and Mason Greenwood - it's great to see another generation of talented Mancunians achieving success on both domestic and international level, playing for their boyhood club.
Haha! I think he already is! Now he has over 3 000 000 votes to All-star Game, so we can say that they are on similar level of recognition. Giggs, nice, I like him as well. Did you know, that Rashford had already played 200 matches in Manchester United? Remember, that he is only 22 years old, impressive :)
Delete1. Do you think that European basketball players are able to reach the top of NBA?
ReplyDeleteSure they do - only disadvantage is that I think in EU (beside the football) there is not enough money in sport comparing to US so the young professionals can struggle to train on the same level as their colleagues is states. So I think in might be harder to achieve but it's not impossible!
2. If you had one chance to meet a famous sportsman, who would it be?
I think that it might be Adam Małysz. I don't care about ski jumping at all but after his career was finished he become so passioned about Dakar racing and developed many businesses around it what is truly remarkable. I'm just curious what is his secret to stay so passioned in life.
3. What is your favorite young star in sport? (not only in basketball :))
Definitely Marc Marquez - that's the motoGP biker, it's insane what he's doing since the beginning of his career as a young guy. Funny thing is that I'm not even much of a fan of motoGP but the guy is so insane that I like to watch highlights of his performance because some of them are one of a kind in racing history!
Yes, we also have talented players like Mateusz Ponitka, but unfortunately, our sport development system is so bad, that he just needed to go to Russia and play CSK Moscow, instead of practicing... :( I don't watch motoGP at all, but I will check him!
DeleteI'm not a basketball fan, so I don't know how European players are doing in this American game, but I think that just like others they are able to be on the top of NBA of course. I don't have any favourite sportsman so meeting anyone famous would be ok for me :) I think that I just answered your last question too - I have no favourite sportsman, especially I don't know anyone from younger sportsmen.
ReplyDeleteOK, I respect your point of view. But maybe you can share what are you interest in? :)
DeleteI am not interested in basketball at all, so it is difficult for me to say how the level of players from Europe compares to the NBA. If I had the opportunity I would like to meet Akop Szostak. He keeps inspiring me all the time. My favorite young sports star is Barcelona footballer Ramón Rodríguez Jiménez.
ReplyDeleteI've never been interested in basketball, so it's hard for me to say something about it. But I`m a big fan of soccer.
ReplyDeleteIf I must to choose one player to meet with him it would be Ronaldinho. He is one of the best player in the history of football. Even people that don’t like him, can agree with that. He is really talented soccer player with amazing skills and a good man.
For me favorite young star is Mbape. He is just 21 years old now (which is three years younger than me :) ), but he is one of the best and perspective soccer players in the world. Actually, he is the most expensive player in the whole world. His official price is 200 000 000€ but directors PSG (his club) said that don’t sell him even for 300 000 000€
I’m sure that in 3-4 years everyone will know him like today all world know Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi.
Basketball, football, I think both sports have enough fans :) YEAH, and say to him: "Ronaldinho, chcesz trochę?" XD
DeleteI also like Mbape, he was looking great at Golden Ball Gala (I don't know how to name it better :)) after I saw his pin on shirt - silver fly, I bought something similar :) yup, I also respect him as a player, but PSG should bring some other good players to their team to help Mbape.
I'm not really basketball fan, but to be honest I think that sports like basketball are getting more and more popular. In current times we have much more opportunities to try another sports than 10 or 20 years ago. I think that reaching top of NBA by European players is just the matter of time. To be honest I don't have that kind of favourite sportsman. For me that would be fantastic to meet Jakub "Musk" Tatara, famous polish drifter.
ReplyDeleteI don't have any favourite young star in sport.
Now is so much easier, but not as easy as in USA. They have so many sport programs of develop, I think in USA is more than in whole Europe. "Musk", he is very talented, I'm huge fan of him.
DeleteI haven't got any knowledge basketball, so trying to predict if European players have a chance in NBA is in my case like coffee fortune telling. If I had the opportunity to meet a sportsman, I would choose Robert Kubica. I really admire him and I find his story truly inspirational. I don't have a favorite young athlete and I don't rather have favorite athletes or actors at all. Kubica is an exception because of what he presents with his whole life and approach to other people, not just what we see on the track.
ReplyDeleteSo you are a fortune-teller! :) Robet is a great man, I watched few interview with him, if i had a chance I won't hesitate to meet him. Maybe one day we will have another talented and famous F1 driver like him, but not so inspiring for sure.
DeleteI know very little about basketball, also as far, as I am concerned most players are actually African American and not European American or European. If I could meet any sportmen it would be Pele, because he it the most legendary football player. Unfortunately I do not have a favourite young athlete.
ReplyDeleteI know very little about basketball, also as far, as I am concerned most players are actually African American and not European American or European. If I could meet any sportmen it would be Pele, because he it the most legendary football player. Unfortunately I do not have a favourite young athlete.
ReplyDelete