As a kid in Slovenia, Luka Doncic never stayed up all night to watch the NBA Finals. The games kicked off around 3 a.m., and school was just a few hours away. Instead, he’d wake up and discover the outcomes in the morning. Yet, the young Doncic was always tuned in, dreaming of one day seeing Luka Doncic in the Finals.
Celtics’ Worst Nightmare: Can Anyone Stop Luka Doncic in the Finals?
“Every kid who plays basketball dreams about this,” Doncic shared. “I was one of them.”
Now, those dreams are his reality. On Thursday night, the 25-year-old phenom makes his NBA Finals debut with the Dallas Mavericks, facing the Boston Celtics in Game 1. Doncic stands on the brink of history, possibly becoming the first player since Shaquille O’Neal in 2000 to clinch both the scoring title and an NBA championship in the same season. Leading the postseason in points, rebounds, and assists, Doncic is staking his claim as the best player in the game today.
“This is going to be the international finals,” stated Kyrie Irving, Doncic’s teammate in Dallas. “Everybody’s going to be watching.”
The global stage for the NBA Finals isn’t new. Broadcast in over 200 countries and territories and translated into 50 languages, the Finals have always had international flair. Recent MVPs like Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Serbia’s Nikola Jokic underscore this global influence.
Doncic, who became a father this season, calling it “the greatest thing in the world,” is more than a player; he’s a worldwide sensation. Fluent in four languages, his influence stretches across continents. Winning a championship would only solidify his rapidly growing legend.
“Luka is at a spectacular, stratospheric level,” Hall of Famer Pau Gasol remarked recently. “What he has done … is within the reach of very few in the history of this sport.”
The statistics confirm Gasol’s praise. Averaging 28.7 points per game over six regular seasons, Doncic trails only Michael Jordan and Wilt Chamberlain, both averaging 30.1. He’s the sole player to maintain at least eight assists and eight rebounds per game and one of only two, alongside Oscar Robertson, with 10,000 points, 3,000 rebounds, and 3,000 assists in his first 400 games.
“Game’s too simple, too easy,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd quipped when asked why Doncic hasn’t yet snagged an MVP award. “He makes it look too easy. Unfortunately, that’s what happens with some of the greats … we take for granted their talent.”
Despite this, Doncic dismisses any notion that winning is effortless. His league-best 73-point game this season, 13 games scoring at least 40 points, and several 39-point performances are a testament to his relentless work ethic.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla knows stopping Doncic is impossible. “Containing is the goal,” he said. “You’ve got to be very aware of what you’re willing to live with and what you’re willing to take away and when it’s time to adjust. It’s going to take a team effort.”
Doncic’s success is no accident. A proven star with Real Madrid before joining the NBA, his brilliance has only intensified. Now, children in Slovenia will wake up over the next few weeks, eager to see how their hero fares in the Finals.
“It’s very hard to win,” Doncic admits. “You watch a lot of film and go to work. And it’s very hard. I don’t think people understand how hard it is to win games in this league, especially in the playoffs. So, I think we earned to be here. We deserved that. Because every game we’re playing in the playoffs, it’s really hard to win.”
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