For the longest time, international players tended to be looked down upon by both NBA teams and players alike. Sure, you had guys like Drazen Petrovic and Arvydas Sabonis have some success in the league back in the day but they were looked at as exceptions to the norm.
That way of thinking has changed quite a bit over the years and one can even argue that international players are now taking over the league. The last four MVP awards have been won by two international players, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic, and it wouldn’t be a surprise if one of them wins it this season as well. Another strong contender for the award is Luka Doncic and he believes that international players get more respect in the NBA now than they used to.
Luka Doncic on if international NBA players have gained more respect: "I think (we get) more respect than we used to. You have a lot of international players that are really good and people enjoy great basketball players. It doesn't matter from where you are. They just enjoy it." pic.twitter.com/Az3w1agh2F
— Grant Afseth (@GrantAfseth) January 14, 2023
“I think we probably get more respect than we used to. You have a lot of international players that are really good and people enjoy great basketball players. It doesn’t matter from where you are. They just enjoy.”
You have no choice but to respect them when they are dominating on the court night in and night out. Luka is a classic case of teams not showing enough respect to international players, as both the Suns and the Kings passed on him in the 2018 NBA Draft while the Hawks traded him to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night.
Bill Simmons Thinks Luka Doncic Will Join The Heat If He Leaves The Mavericks
For all of Luka’s greatness, it is clear to everyone that he isn’t going to win a championship unless the Mavericks manage to bring in another star to play with him. Mavs fans drew a ‘Please Send Help’ mural for Doncic as they desperately want to avoid a situation where he might want out in the future.
If it does get to a point when Doncic wants to leave the Mavs, Bill Simmons thinks he will end up on the Miami Heat. Players like Luka don’t come around often and the Mavericks need to make sure they do everything within their powers to keep him happy in Dallas.
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