It’s disheartening to hear that just eight minutes ago, Luka Dončić provided three reasons for his departure. For more details, see below.
te, dominant athletes who can completely dismantle their opponents, the image that probably comes to mind isn’t a scruffy Eastern European guy with a neck beard and a tiger tattoo. Unless the sport in question involves a pub game or being targeted by John Wick, such individuals have historically been overlooked. But that’s changing now.
Thanks to Luka Dončić, the 25-year-old newly-crowned Western Conference champion, a new kind of basketball disruptor is getting a chance at the championship. The young Slovenian openly admits he’s not the fastest player and has a deep appreciation for Hard Rock Cafe nachos. It’s unclear whether he works out much outside of basketball, which is fine—the practice of getting into shape during the season is quite common among some NBA players. What Dončić excels at, as he’s shown repeatedly during this remarkable playoff run, is setting the court ablaze with his scoring ability, effortlessly dropping 35 points on opponents.
After a decisive win in Minnesota on Thursday night, Dončić and the fifth-seeded Dallas Mavericks are heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011, when another European superstar was leading the charge. Throughout the series against the Timberwolves, Dončić never scored fewer than 28 points in a game, with the lone loss coincidentally occurring in that lowest-scoring game (it’s possible he aimed to finish the series in Minnesota just to rub it in). In the Mavericks’ four victories over the Wolves, Dončić averaged 33.5 points.
What’s truly captivating is the way he performs. As a viewer, you find yourself torn between hoping he’ll ease off on the opposition and wanting to see what audacious move he’ll make next. One of the defining moments of these playoffs was Dončić hunting Rudy Gobert at the three-point line before making a shot that solidified his status as one of the NBA’s most formidable players. Dončić’s excellence isn’t new—he’s made five All-NBA teams in his six years and is known for his scoring artistry—but his Game 2 performance against Gobert perfectly encapsulates his exceptional talent.
