"Luka is the closest thing to Larry Bird…He's phenomenal"- NBA Analyst asserts Luka Doncic is No.1 player under 25 in NBA, names him ‘baby Bird’ for dominating on court like 3X NBA Champion
It hasn't taken long for Dallas Mavericks wing Luka Doncic to blossom into a superstar. One of the most dangerous offensive players in the league, Doncic has turned heads with his ability each night. He's become one of the faces of the league at just 23 years old.
Doncic doesn't come off right away as a player who should be a dominant force in the game of basketball. He's not the most athletic but uses his feel for the game and basketball intelligence to dominate opponents. It's part of the reason why Doncic has drawn comparisons to Boston Celtics Hall of Fame forward Larry Bird.
Speaking on "Undisputed," analyst Shannon Sharpe said that Luka is the closest thing the game of basketball has today to Bird. He even goes on to say that when it's all said and done, Luka will "probably be better than Bird!"
"Luka is the closet thing to Larry Bird, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll probably be better than Bird! Luka is the one guy that can give 40 points and 15 assist. He's phenomenal."
NBA execs name Luka Dončić the top player under 25, @ShannonSharpe says it's not even close:
"Luka is the closet thing to Larry Bird, and when it’s all said and done, he’ll probably be better than Bird! Luka is the one guy that can give 40 points and 15 assist. He's phenomenal." https://t.co/dQ2ntnG0UR
Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks look to make noise in 2022-23
Anytime a player is compared to one of the greats, it's going to draw some attention. That's been the case with Doncic, as he often finds himself in the same conversation as Larry Bird.
The only thing stopping Doncic from cementing his legacy is winning at the highest level. Luka showed last postseason that he can step his game up in big moments. Depsite his success on the biggest stage, it hasn't translated into championships.
15 NBA Executives took a poll to rank their Top 5 players under 25 to build a team around:
1.) Luka Doncic
2.) Jayson Tatum
3.) Ja Morant
4.) Evan Mobley
5.) Anthony Edwards
(via @MikeAScotto, hoopshype.com/lists/nba-poll…) https://t.co/2lCDUKIaMT
There's still plenty of time for the Slovenian superstar. Doncic won't turn 24 until next February. As long as Luka is healthy, the Mavericks will be a team to watch out for in the Western Conference for years to come.
In 2021-22, Luka averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists. He shot 45.7% from the field and 35.3% from three-point range.
He put on a show this summer representing Slovenia at Eurobasket. He averaged 26.0 points, 7.7 rebounds and 6.6 assists in seven games. He also scored the second-most points in a game in tournament history when he went off for 46 in a win over France.
Luka and the Mavericks kick off their 2022-23 season against the Phoenix Suns on October 19.