Luka Doncic didn’t get drafted into the NBA as an unknown international prospect. Instead, he made a name for himself as a future superstar overseas playing in EuroLeague and for his national team of Slovenia.
Doncic’s resume before being drafted in 2018 was extensive and should have been an obvious indicator of the success he’d find in the NBA. Now, the guard is a member of the Los Angeles Lakers and the spotlight has never been better as he’s being tabbed as the face and future of the storied franchise.
Lakers greats like Magic Johnson and Robert Horry have already issued messages to Doncic as the expectations are high for the organization’s newest star. Doncic shouldn’t feel the need to respond as he’s heard all the critics and understands what he needs to do to silence any doubts.
Doncic has a busy offseason ahead of him as he also prepares to play for Slovenia. Despite the rigors of the NBA schedule, he said he continues to play for his national team because of the fans, via the “Mind the Game” podcast with LeBron James and Steve Nash:
“[The passion from the fans] is why I play every year… That’s why I always play, because of pride and I like to represent my country. But you see, my country lives for sports. For how small we are, I think we have great sports people. Bicyclists, skiers, it’s a lot. But that’s when the crowd is into it. I think we give back a lot to our country, so that’s why the crowd and the people are really into sports.”
Doncic has been a regular on the Slovenian national team for years and the commitment and loyalty to his country is admirable.
Nowadays, players are typically skittish to put their bodies through more games out of season but this isn’t an issue for someone like Doncic.
Luka Doncic explains why he said it’s easier to score in NBA than Europe
Offensively, Luka Doncic can do anything on the floor as he’s a brilliant scorer and a gifted playmaker.
Doncic drew some eyebrows when he said it was easier to score in the NBA than in Europe and he explained his rationale.
