INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 19: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks dribbles the ball against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse on January 19, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
Players like Luka Doncic just look like they’re having fun on the court. Now he’s getting triple-doubles too.
The Dallas Mavericks traveled to Milwaukee to play the Eastern Conference’s top seed in a Martin Luther King Day game on Monday. It was a game that featured two players that are the future of the NBA. Milwaukee and their MVP-in-the-making Giannis Antetokounmpo came out on top but it was rookie Luka Doncic that drew everyone’s attention.
Doncic has taken the NBA storm. He’s the runaway favorite for Rookie of the Year and just added another achievement to his impressive resume. Luka finished the game with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists. That’s right: Doncic finished with a triple double.
That performance made him the second youngest player to ever tally those numbers. Doncic, fewer than two months from his 20th birthday, was only outdone by Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz.
This impressive performance just adds to the legend that is Luka Doncic. The Slovenian teenager came to the NBA this season after an unprecedented run in the Euroleague where he won MVP honors a year ago. A draft-day trade sent him to the Mavericks and it’s been history ever since.
Doncic is receiving the proverbial torch from teammate Dirk Nowitzki this season as the Mavericks go-to player already. He’s leading what was considered a loaded rookie class in points per game. The international man of basketball is also top-three in rebounds and assists.
It is no surprise to see him towards the top of All-Star voting either. Should the 19-year old rookie make the cut for the mid-season exhibition he would join Yao Ming and Blake Griffin as the only rookies to do so since 2000.
The game may not have come out in Doncic favor but the folklore surrounding him continues to grow. Luka is going to be a staple in this league for a long time.