The Los Angeles Lakers have been on a roll as of late, winning nine of their last ten games. Their success has been largely due to the stellar play of rookie Luka Doncic, who is averaging 22.3 points and 7.6 rebounds per game this season.
The where is luka doncic from is a question that has been asked many times. Mark Jackson, the head coach of the Golden State Warriors, has made an incredible claim about Luka Doncic just 3 seasons into his NBA career.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks is tearing up the NBA and making his claim as one of the greatest players in the game at the age of 22. Former All-Star point guard and current ESPN commentator Mark Jackson, on the other hand, isn’t thinking about Doncic’s present status.
Despite just playing three seasons in the NBA, Jackson took a risk with his assessment of Doncic’s position in basketball history. It’s also a premature claim, and one that isn’t really fair to Doncic, who (hopefully) has a long career ahead of him.
Luka Doncic is already considered one of the top 75 players in NBA history, according to Mark Jackson.
The NBA is commemorating the 75th season of its existence by compiling a list of the 75 best players of all time for the 2021-22 season. Luka Doncic, according to Mark Jackson, is deserving of a spot on that list.
On the Club Shay Shay podcast, Jackson said that he expects Doncic would be recognized by media members voting on the list. If he had a vote, the leading assist guy stated he would pencil Doncic in. He also mentioned the NBA’s Top 50 list, which was released during All-Star Weekend in 1997.
“I don’t want to single out anybody from the Top 50, but [Doncic] is a better player than some of them. And I kept an eye on a few of those guys.”
-Club’s Mark Jackson Shay, Shay, Shay
Jackson went on to highlight Doncic’s attributes, including how previous Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle likened Luka to Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics.
Nobody doubts Doncic’s abilities. He has been selected to the All-NBA First Team for the last two seasons and may become the league’s face in the near future. Is it fair to place the kid on a pedestal when he still has a long way to go in his career?
Making analogies
When considering Luka Doncic’s legacy in the perspective of NBA 75, Hall of Fame center Shaquille O’Neal is perhaps the greatest parallel.
Shaq was named one of the 50 best players in NBA history only four seasons into his career. During that time, O’Neal was named to four All-Star teams and three All-NBA teams, and the voters predicted his continued brilliance and eventual position as basketball’s most powerful force.
In the case of Shaquille O’Neal, the voters obviously predicted correctly. So, what’s stopping Doncic from being added to the list by the contemporary media?
Luka has been nothing short of a revelation. With his scoring and playmaking, he has the potential to take over games, and his flair for the theatrical is astounding for a player of his age.
Even if Doncic is as brilliant as those who have gone through the league, including a 22-year-old on the list when he has no NBA experience would be insulting to previous great.
The Mavericks’ top player still has a lot to prove. At this point, being named to the NBA 75 is arguably the least of Doncic’s concerns. He most certainly has higher ambitions.
Doncic most certainly has loftier ambitions.
Mark Jackson (L) and Luka Doncic (R) | Stephen Dunn/Getty Images, from left to right Luka Dakskobler/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images and Luka Dakskobler/SOPA Images/LightRocket through Getty Images
Doncic’s potential is far higher than being named one of the 75 greatest players in the NBA after just three seasons in the league.
Luka is on his way to being discussed in the same sentence as some of the best players of all time, based on what he has already done. Instead of (respectfully) Bob McAdoo and Alex English, think LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
If Doncic stays healthy, there’s little question he’ll be remembered as one of the greatest players to ever grace the floor. For the time being, Mark Jackson and others should continue to admire his skill and see how he develops rather than putting him in the same category as the greatest players of all time so early in his career.
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