Luka Doncic is one of the most talented youngsters we have seen come through the league in recent years. Doncic was finishing 4th in MVP voting as a sophomore and is in his third consecutive Playoffs with the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavs are in the Western Conference Finals behind Doncic having a sensational series against the Phoenix Suns, bringing even more recognition to Luka.
The people that knew about his incredible skill-set and appreciated the same have been going to bat for him for years now. One of those men is obviously Doncic’s coach, Jason Kidd, who is a Hall of Fame point guard himself.
A lot of comparisons between Doncic and Larry Bird have been brought up recently, with their similar playing styles in terms of being big, good shooters, and an all-around threat on offense. However, Jason Kidd extended those comparisons to other players like LeBron James and Magic Johnson as well.
Jason Kidd on Luka comparisons: "Shooting of Larry Bird, Smile of Magic… playmaking ability of Magic or LeBron. They all have one thing in common is winning. Hopefully at some point he'll be right there. Just not his ability to play basketball, but to have those championships."
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) May 18, 2022
It isn’t a surprise that Doncic is drawing such lofty comparisons. Many have likened him to be the successor for LeBron James in terms of the best player in the league. In addition, Doncic also has the wizard-like playmaking of Magic Johnson, who pioneered being a big guard in the NBA.
The growth in Luka’s performance has been evident and having a coach like Jason Kidd definitely helps that. While Doncic still has free rein on the offense, Kidd has gotten Luka to clean up his game and play with more focus and direct intent behind every play. Kidd has also gotten Luka to make an active effort on defense, something that was lacking in years prior.
If Doncic can have a career that mirrors the names Kidd threw in, he will be an all-time great before we even realize it. Maybe he already is, but we are just waiting on that first championship like we were for Giannis.
