Today, your favorite Slovenian turns 21 years old, a crazy reality when you consider everything he’s already done in his professional basketball career. For those not keeping track at home that would be:
- EuroLeague MVP
- EuroLeague Finals MVP
- Two-time EuroLeague Rising Star
- Three-time ACB Spanish league champion
- ACB Spanish league MVP
- NBA Rookie of The Year
- All-Star Game Starter
Needless to say, a little more accomplished than I was at 21 — my biggest accomplishment being that I was able to keep the same fake ID for 3 years and learned how to do my own laundry. NBD but KBD.
And now our boy Luka is all grown up and chasing an MVP trophy. The only players you could possibly make an argument for having a better season would be Lebron, Harden and Antetokounmpo.
He is, quite simply, already a superstar, and one who still has plenty more room to grow. I mean just look at these stats:
| Category | Amount | All-time rank |
| Games | 119 | 53rd |
| Minutes | 3,857 | 30th |
| Points | 2,876 | 5th |
| Assists | 839 | 3rd |
| Rebounds | 1,102 | 11th |
| Field Goals | 973 | 5th |
| 3-Point Field Goals | 305 | 1st |
| Free Throws | 669 | 6th |
| Triple-doubles | 21 | 1st |
Find me another player that’s accomplished all of that by the age of 21. You can’t.
LeBron James racked up high school accolades, a Rookie of the Year and one All-Star appearance, but didn’t have quite the overall resume as Doncic does.
Bill Russell was 22 when he won Olympic gold and his second national championship in college.
Michael Jordan won a title in college and gold at the 1984 Olympics, but turned 21 before ever stepping foot in the NBA.
I get I may come off as a Luke fanboy here, which I am, but it’s not just me who thinks Luka just may go down as the GOAT. Certified NBA legends think so too…
Steve Nash: “I think he’s maybe the best 20-year-old the NBA has ever seen. The game’s a little different than when LeBron (James) came in the league. The numbers are little inflated because of the pace and the hand check. But still. I think LeBron was so gifted but I don’t think he was as polished as Luka at 20. Now, Luka’s never going to be the athlete that LeBron is, but he’s a great athlete. He’s an underrated athlete.”
Really the only thing standing in Luka’s was of being the next MJ is now that he is of drinking age, will he turn into a raging alcoholic, causing his career to spiral down out of control? Probably not.
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