From zero to hero

Right now everywhere you see on the internet is Luka Doncic. Lukamania is the rookie sensation, not only in his game style also in the numbers, Doncic is going after the rookie of the year. But who is he and how did he get in the NBA?

Youth career

Doncic was born in Ljubljana, Slovenia. His father Sasa Doncic is a basketball coach and former player with experience in the Slovenian League and EuroLeague, so seeing Luka’s connection to basketball was obvious or immense. According to relatives, Doncic first touched a basketball when was just months old, and he played with a miniature hoop in his room. Luka did a lot of sports in his childhood, but at age of seven, he began playing organized basketball at primary school.

When Luka was eight got into the Olimpija Basketball School, given for his abilities, Doncic was moved to play up to the 11-year-old group, and practice with the school under 14 team, but due to league rules, he only played for the club under 12 selection team.  Doncic had a successful career in the club, being named most valuable player in September of 2011 on Vasas Intesa Sanpaolo Cup in Budapest and being loaned to Real Madrid on 2012 for the Minicopa Endesa, an under 14 Spanish club competition, where he also managed to win the MVP title and leading Real Madrid to a second place finish. Next year he did the same, Lido di Roma Tournament for Olimpija, finishing as MVP and leading scorer with 34.5 points per game.

When things started to get serious: Real Madrid

At the age of 13 Doncic signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid in 2012. He moved to Madrid, living with soccer and basketball prospects, and he had to learn to speak Spanish. On 2013 he led Real Madrid to a Minicopa Endesa win, averaging 24.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 6 steals per game, winning the MVP title.

During 2014-15 season, Luka played with Real Madrid under 18 team, where he earned all-league honorable mention accolades from basketball website Eurobasket.com. On May of 2015he won the under-18 Next-Generation Tournament, where he was selected MVP.

Professional Carrer

On April of 2015, Luka made his professional debut in the Liga ACB playing for Real Madrid, becoming the youngest player to ever play for Real Madrid in the ACB.

In the 2015-16 he became a regular member of Real Madrid’s senior team. On October of 2015, he debuted in the Euroleague, scoring 2 points in a loss to Khimki. On November of the same year, he set a new ACB record for most points and highest Performance Index Rating in a game for players under age 17.  In EuroLeague games, he recorded 3.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.

MVP season

On the 2016-2017 season, he was named round MVP four times on his way to earning the EuroLeague’s Rising Star award. An at the age of 18 Luka help lead Slovenia to the greatest success in the Nations team sport, the title of EuroBasket champions in 2017.

Luka on the 2017-2018 season, he manages to achieve a greater role for Real Madrid after the team star Sergio Llull suffered a torn ACL. IN his first EuroLeague, he earned the Euro League MVP on the month, becoming the youngest player to ever win the award. On May 20 of 2018, he guided Real Madrid to a Euro League finals victory , and subsequently named both EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP, leading Real Madrid to the EuroLeague championship title. On June 29, he parted ways with Real Madrid.

NBA

Doncic was selected with the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks, but he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange to draft rights to Trae Young and a future first-round pick in 2019. After the draft, the head coach Rick Carlisle said, “At one point, we thought there might be a slight chance Doncic could fall to us, but a couple of days ago it was pretty clear that there was no way that was going to happen. He’s just too good.”. He signed his rookie contract with the Mavs on July 9, so he did not play the 2018 Summer League.

With just 19 years old Luka has demonstrated to the world the elite class player he is. Especially because he was named Western Conference Rookie of the Month, with 18.5 points per game being first among rookies. With 6.5 rebounds is fourth among rookies, second in assists with 4.3, second in steals with 1.1 and first in minutes with 33.1.

Luka has gracefully demonstrated his talent, watching as he manages to overcome matches and prove that no one is inferior to another, do not forget the two blocks that provided Lebron James on the Lakers match and how being just 19-year-old, he can take on as much prominence in a team as important as the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic isn’t just the presence of the Dallas Mavericks, but the key for the future.

What do we expect of Luka? Nothing than greatness, if he continues to maintain himself at this rhythm we might be in the presence of some of the best players in history, but only time will decide.