Facts: Luka Doncic
Born: February 28, 1999 (age 23).
Nationality: Slovenia.
Position: Point guard / small forward.
Length: 201 centimeters.
Weight: 104 kilos.
Clubs: Real Madrid (2015–2018, Dallas (2018–).
Statistics season 2021–2022: 28.4 points per game (third best in the NBA), 9.1 returns per game (19th best in the NBA), 8.7 assists per game (fifth best in the NBA).
Qualifications in selection: Spanish champion three times (2015, 2016, 2018), Spanish league MVP (2018), Euroleague champion (2018), Euroleague MVP (2018), NBA rookie of the year (2019), All-NBA first team three times (2020–2022).
It was not long before Luka Doncic became a world name. After breaking through as a teenager at Real Madrid, he was drafted by the NBA team Dallas Mavericks.
Four seasons into his career in North America, he has cemented himself as one of the best players in the world and almost led his Dallas to the NBA Finals last season.
On Sunday night, he will replace the NBA arenas with the Court in Stockholm to take on Sweden in the World Cup qualifiers.
– I would say that he is top three in the world right now. He is young and will only get better. He will surely be considered one of the best players of all time, says Ludvig Håkanson.
Several good features
TT: What makes him so good?
– He fits just fine, can shoot from anywhere and can post most players. He is very complete and also tall and big to play in that position. He is difficult to defend against.
However, Håkanson does not just lift Luka Doncic. Slovenia has a star-studded team and is the reigning European champion. From the European Championship squad 2017, many are still with, including NBA veteran Goran Dragic, who was named the tournament’s most valuable player.
– I have been with the last ten years and it is the absolute best team we have met with Sweden, says Håkanson.
“NBA team has tested”
Mikko Riipinen, one of Sweden’s four national team captains, believes that it is not really possible to stop Doncic.
– All NBA teams have tested and they have not found anything. There is no formula for such good players, he says.
But you should try.
– We must choose what we want to give up – and not give up. We have to get him to work and put him in difficult situations offensively and defensively, so he can work at that end and risk fouls and tire him out, he says.