“LeBron is an elite, elite, elite level athlete, that is not Luka” - Jay Williams won’t mention Luka Doncic in the same breath as LeBron James out of respect for the latter, believes it diminishes LeBron’s greatness
This postseason, Luka Doncic was among the best players in the league. Even though the Dallas Mavericks' season came to an end in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals, nothing can be taken away from the All-Star guard.
Through 15 postseason games, Luka Doncic led the NBA in points per game at 31.7. On top of that, he averaged 9.8 rebounds, 6.4 assists, and 1.8 steals. The Mavericks star is already on the fast track to superstardom, and his showing in the playoffs is a huge testament to why.
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LA Lakers forward LeBron James is often a name mentioned when making comparisons to Luka Doncic. High praise for the 23-year-old as James will go down as one of the two greatest players ever.
One person who is not a fan of this comparison is ESPN's Jay Williams. He recently went on a tangent about how putting Luka Doncic in the same company as James is disrespectful.
"I'm done even putting Lukas name in the same breath comparison wise similarity wise to LeBron out of sheer respect for one of the greatest players ever seen to play the game of basketball."
Is it fair to compare Luka Doncic to LeBron James?
Both sides to this argument have a fair case. On the one hand, what Luka Doncic did this postseason can draw similar comparisons to what LeBron James did with the Cleveland Cavaliers back in 2007. That being said, he still has a long way to go to even come close to what James has done in his career.
Part of why these two are often talked about together is their style of play. Both are jumbo-sized guards/wings who can do just about anything on the court. More importantly, their elite-level basketball IQ elevates not only themselves, but the players around them.
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There are many things the two have in common, but there's one glaring difference. Part of why Williams refuses to put Luka Doncic in the same tier as LeBron is because he has always kept himself in top physical condition.
"LeBron is an elite, elite, elite level athlete, that is not Luka."
Even with their similar style of play, Williams was right to pump the breaks on comparing Doncic to James. That does not mean he will never become an all-time great, but there are numerous things he needs to accomplish before doing so. His play in these playoffs was certainly a step in the right direction.