Luka Doncic is one of the best players in the NBA today. In the four seasons, he has been in the league, the star forward has been an All-Star three times, three-time All-NBA, and a Rookie of the Year winner. But in the Dallas Mavericks matchup against the New York Knicks on December 27, Doncic proved he is on a different level than most players in the NBA.
Luka put up a stat line of 61 points, 21 rebounds, and 10 assists in Dallas’ overtime win. Per Shams Charania of The Athletic, It is the first 60-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game in NBA history. Not even Wilt Chamberlain has done it. Luka’s historic night had Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant lauding the Mavericks star for his performance.
“That was a MyCareer-type performance from Luka tonight. Some video game shit,” Durant tweeted on December 28.
That was a MyCareer type performance from Luka tonight. Some video game shit
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) December 28, 2022
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Luka has transformed himself into one of the best hybrid players in NBA history because he can score, pass, and rebound at a historically high level. Durant, who is a unicorn in his own right, admits he wasn’t a fan of Doncic’s game when he first came into the league in 2018. But as Luka has blossomed as a player, KD has grown to appreciate it.
“He plays so slow… it’s hard because he goes from slow to fast so easily and he is just so smooth with it. I love his game,” Durant said during the November 11 episode of his podcast “The ETCs”.
“At first, I didn’t, when he first came into the league because I’m like all he does is step back threes, and they be short as hell. He’s shooting like 27%-30% from the three-point line early on. I’m like this is the guy? But playing against someone I think they beat us by 40 when I was with Golden State, and he was controlling every possession, and I was like, ‘Yeah he nice.’ His game just started expanding.”
The consensus around the NBA is that because Luka does not have blistering-fast end-to-end speed like most point guards, he is a slow player. However, Durant says that is simply not true, and Doncic uses that false narrative to his advantage on the basketball court. His deceptive speed can easily catch whoever is defending him off guard.
“He’s deceptively quick too, he’ll get around you fast, slip around you fast for a layup and then slow down, that’s how he’ll get a lot of fouls too,” Durant said on “The ETCs” in 2021.
“Because he’ll act like he doesn’t have any athleticism. And he can get around you, and he got a big body so he be trying to trick people into thinking he can’t get around you. And he slows down, you chase him down, and he’ll slow down, and get a layup and one, so you gotta be on point with that dude.”
At just 23 years old, Luka has already taken the NBA by storm. There are likely many more historic performances to come in the future from the young star.