Luka Dončićborn February 28, 1999) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also plays for the Slovenia national team and is regarded as one of the greatest European players of all time.
Luka Dončić Facts
- Born : February 28, 1999 (age 24)
- Ljubljana,: Slovenia
- Listed height: 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
- Listed weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
- Career information: Playing career 2015–present
- awards:FIBA World Cup Top Scorer (2023)All-FIBA World Cup Team (2023)
Luka Dončić Early life
Dončić was born in Ljubljana to Mirjam Poterbin, an owner of beauty salons, and Saša Dončić, a basketball coach and former player. His mother is Slovenian, and his father is a Slovenian of Serbian descent from Kosovo. His parents filed for divorce in 2008, with custody and legal guardianship granted to his mother.
According to his family, Dončić first touched a basketball when he was seven months old and frequently played with a miniature hoop in his room by age one. He played various sports in his childhood, including football, which he later quit after growing too tall.At age seven, he began playing organized basketball at a primary school in Ljubljana. His opponents at the time were up to ten years old, as Dončić reflected: “I was always training and playing with older kids who had much more experience than me. Many of them were bigger and faster than me too, so I had to beat them with my brain.”He admired Greek basketball player Vassilis Spanoulis from his early teenage years, stating that he was “enchanted” by himHe wore the number 7 at Real Madrid in honor of Spanoulis.Dončić also grew up admiring American basketball player LeBron James.
Luka Dončić Youth career
When Dončić was eight, his father started playing for his hometown club Union Olimpija. Olimpija Basketball School coach Grega Brezovec invited Luka to practice with players his age.Dončić was initially expected to practice with players his age. Still, only 16 minutes into his first training session, the coaching staff moved him to the 11-year-old group. Starting in the next session, he primarily practiced with Olimpija’s under-14 team. Still, due to league rules, he only played for the club’s under-12 selection team, coming off the bench against opponents three or four years older than himDespite his exclusion from under-14 games at the time, Dončić often asked to attend practice, even when his coach asked him to stay home.
Representing Olimpija at the under-14 Vasas Intesa Sanpaolo Cup in Budapest in September 2011, Dončić was named the most valuable player (MVP) despite finishing as runners-up to FC Barcelona.In February 2012, he was loaned to Spanish club Real Madrid for the Minicopa Endesa, an under-14 Spanish club competition.Dončić averaged 13.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 3.3 steals per game to win tournament MVP honors, leading Real Madrid to a second-place finishIn April 2012, he participated in the under-13 Lido di Roma Tournament for Olimpija, finishing as MVP and leading scorer with 34.5 points per game. In the semi-final round of the event against Victoria Fermo, he posted 29 points and 15 rebounds. In a title-clinching win over Lazio, he erupted for 54 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Luka Dončić Real Madrid
In September 2012, at 13 years of age, Dončić signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid, immediately standing out on the under-16 team with coach Paco Redondo. He moved to Madrid, living with football and basketball prospects. In February 2013, Dončić led Real Madrid to a Minicopa Endesa win, averaging 24.5 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals per game. In the tournament’s final game, he contributed 25 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 steals to defeat FC Barcelona and win MVP honors In March, Dončić earned MVP accolades of the under-16 Spain Championship, scoring 25 points in a championship game win over the Gran Canaria youth team
In the 2014–15 season, Dončić mainly played with Real Madrid’s under-18 and reserve teams. He averaged 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists with the reserve team, helping them win Group B of the Liga EBA, the amateur fourth-division of Spanish basketball.By the end of the season, he earned all-league honorable mention accolades from the basketball website Eurobasket.com In January 2015, Dončić won the under-18 Ciutat de L’Hospitalet Tournament and was selected to the All-Tournament Team, despite being two years younger than the rest of the team On January 6, against the youth team of his former club Union Olimpija, he posted a double-double of 13 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. In May 2015, he also won the under-18 Next Generation Tournament, for which he was selected MVP after helping defeat defending champions Crvena zvezda Belgrade in the final
Luka Dončić Professional career
On April 30, 2015, Dončić made his professional debut for Real Madrid in the Liga ACB against Unicaja, making his only three-point attempt in under 2 minutes of playing time At 16 years, two months, and two days of age, he became the youngest player to ever play for Real Madrid in the ACB and the third-youngest debutant in league history, behind only Ricky Rubio and Ángel Rebolo. He played five games in the 2014–15 ACB season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds in 4.8 minutes per game.
In the 2015–16 season, Dončić became a regular member of Real Madrid’s senior team. He played against the Boston Celtics in an NBA preseason game on October 8, 2015, collecting 4 rebounds, 1 assist, and 1 block.On October 16, at age 16, he debuted in the EuroLeague, scoring 2 points in a loss to Khimki. Dončić became the 21st player ever to debut in the EuroLeague before turning 17On October 18, he recorded 10 points and 4 rebounds in a 94–61 win over GipuzkoaOn November 29, Dončić posted a season-high 15 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists against Bilbao.With the performance, he set a new ACB record for most points and the highest Performance Index Rating (PIR) in a game for players under age 17. He scored 12 points and grabbed 5 rebounds on January 7, 2016, against CSKA Moscow in the EuroLeague.After a Real Madrid time-out in the second quarter of the game, Dončić made three consecutive three-pointers, recording 9 points in 2 minutes. Through 39 games in the 2015–16 ACB season, he averaged 4.5 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assistsIn 12 EuroLeague games, he recorded 3.5 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2 assists per game.
Luka Dončić Dallas Mavericks (2018–present)
On June 21, 2018, Dončić was selected with the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA draft. He was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to Trae Young and a protected future first-round pick in 2019.After the draft, Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle said, “At
one point, we thought there might be a slight chance Dončić could fall to us, but a couple of days ago it was pretty clear that there was no way that was going to happen. He’s just too good. We get a guy we think is franchise foundation piece. He signed his rookie contract with the Mavericks on July 9, 2018. Dončić did not play at the 2018 NBA Summer League due to his late buyout from Real MadridBefore the 2018–19 season, ESPN considered him the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year Award.