The NBA’s best young player was slow off the mark for what many had forecasted as an MVP season, but he’s responded to heightened scrutiny in a way that’s only laid his greatness bare
Deep into the third quarter of a game against Orlando Magic earlier this month, the Dallas Mavericks were defending with a 13-point lead when they snatched the ball and quickly transitioned. Four blue shirts flitted forward downcourt, outnumbering Orlando’s lone defender, until Luka Dončić collected the ball inches from the rim. The best young baller in the world had a simple lay-up before him, but passed it up for the spectacular play: attempting a backwards, no-look bounce pass to where he thought Maximillian Kleber would be arriving. Kleber, however, had stopped running and the pass found no one at all. Within 30 seconds, the lead would shrink to seven points.
For some athletes, the indignity of such an elementary mistake might make them think twice before attempting the same thing again. But that is not how Luka Dončić plays basketball. In his short time in the NBA, one of his shining qualities is his audacity. He goes about his work with joy and deep conviction in his ability, which translates to him being unafraid of expressing his talent to the fullest with the most difficult, outrageous passes and shot attempts. A few minutes into the fourth quarter, he rectified his mistake with an identical pass, this time with the added difficulty of being airbound. “You’re constantly talking to players about not jumping in the air and trying to make decisions,” Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said afterwards, laughing. “I mean, this guy defies a lot of logic when it comes to conventional coaching theories.