"He’s gigantic… He’s flying by every time" - LeBron James praises 3-time All-Star, says his vision and ability to control a game makes him special
LeBron James was clearly in awe of overachieving Luka Doncic as James spoke about the three-time All-Star’s offensive ability. James has been open about his admiration for Doncic’s style of play, and even chose Doncic as his first pick in the 2022 All-Star Game draft.
James and the LA Lakers ended their season without a playoff appearance, but the Dallas Mavericks put forward one of their best postseasons.
Doncic was especially great for his team, taking on and defeating the reigning Western Conference champions – in a thrilling series. However, the experienced Golden State Warriors were able to push past the Mavericks with relative ease.
On the latest episode of James’ talk show, “The Shop,” James recognized Doncic’s game when asked about what makes the Slovenian so special:
“His size. I mean, he’s gigantic. He’s 6’8” – point guard. He’s 225 pounds. He has the ball on a string. And more importantly, his vision.”
Doncic is known to play the game at his own pace, including using his body to draw contact. His ability to find an open man is the coming together of his size and understanding of his teammates positioning. Doncic’s style of play can get frustrating for defenders, having to brave a wide arsenal of attacks.
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James mentioned some specifics from Doncic’s game that make him a challenge for any defense:
“He can control a game. He doesn’t even have to shoot. He will literally walk the ball up the court 10 straight times and get to his spot every single time. Just because of his pace.
“He knows when he comes off a pick and roll if they’re hard showing or if they hedging or if they dropping the pick and roll.”
Doncic has achieved so much in so little time, making his ceiling even higher. His growth is on display given the size of his contribution to the Mavericks' run in the playoffs, raising expectations for the franchise over the coming seasons.
LeBron James and Luka Doncic have a perfect winning record
James and Doncic have suited up alongside each other in three successive All-Star Games, with all matchups resulting in a win for Team LeBron. Both stars have had their moments together, but James has understandably been the bigger contributor in the contests.
Doncic has made three All-Star appearances in four seasons, putting his name among some of the league's veterans. Doncic has scored just eight points in each of his All-Star outings, but what’s more significant is the company he’s among at age 23.
LeBron James reveals he wanted to start a Team LeBron signature brand with @luka7doncic as his first signee. 👀 https://t.co/HpfHTZQPWq
Doncic is an entire package when it comes to basketball skills, much like James, who can do almost anything on the court. Their ability is often described to be similar – with the scoring and vision at a high-level. It will be interesting to see if the two pair up again in coming seasons.