Luka Doncic at 23 is on a career path that is scary to think about. Despite having been in the league for just four years, Doncic has been an All-Star for three of those, and All-NBA First Team for two, developing into arguably the most complete offensive player in the league. He had an incredible pedigree coming into the league and it has already translated extremely well into the NBA.
Doncic’s records put him at par with the greatest names in history, players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James. The one thing all three have in common is the fact that all three are in the GOAT conversation, with MJ seen as the greatest by a lot of NBA fans. Reaching that level would require Luka to keep up his play for many years and lead his team to a few championships, something NBA analyst Chris Broussard doesn’t think he can do.
Speaking on ‘The Odd Couple’ with Rob Parker, Broussard said he doesn’t think Luka can join the GOAT conversation but gave him high praise regardless, describing him as a new-age Larry Bird, and suggesting he could end his career as a Top 10 player of all time (via Sportskeeda):
“I think he could be a Larry Bird. I think he’s a new age version of Larry Bird,” Broussard said. “He could be, perhaps, top 10 player of all time. I don’t think he could be in the GOAT conversation ever, but obviously at 23 years old, he’s doing a lot.”
The comparison to Bird is not new for Doncic, thanks to his elite scoring ability and his propensity to talk trash to his opponents. If Luka can get anywhere close to Bird, it would be a huge accomplishment, but considering the way his career has gone so far, it would be unwise to bet against him ending his career in conversation to be the greatest, especially if he can improve his defense.
