As soon as Luka Doncic entered the NBA, he showcased signs of immense talent. He showcased it by winning the Rookie of the Year award. Most recently, Doncic and fellow Jordan brand athletes Paolo Banchero, Jayson Tatum, and Zion Williamson participated in an interview with Overtime. In the interview, the athletes were asked about which American college Doncic would have attended.
Duke, a popular college basketball team, was coached by Mike Krzyzewski at that time. Players like Kyrie Irving, Tatum, Paolo Banchero, and Williamson played under Krzyzewski. During the interview with Overtime, Banchero revealed never before heard information about Coach K. Interestingly, Coach K deeply admired Luka Doncic and the Slovenian star was one of his favorite players.
He got Duke written all over him, that’s one of Coach K’s favorite players, I remember when he was recruiting me, it was during the bubble and he would call me and he’d be like are you watching Luka Doncic right now? Like you got to go watch Luka like that’s what you got to be like.
Paolo Banchero via Overtime
During the bubble, Doncic played well. Throughout the stretch of 13 games, Doncic averaged 30.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 9.2 assists. Eventually, a much deeper and experienced Los Angeles Clippers defeated Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks. Nevertheless, he certainly caught the world’s attention. Even Coach K, one of the most experienced head coaches in basketball, was left stunned by Doncic’s performance.
When Doncic was asked about the American college he wanted to attend, he hinted at Arizona. Zion Williamson also listed three colleges: Southern California, Texas A&M, and the University of Florida. Finally, Jayson Tatum echoed Doncic’s choice by naming Arizona as a potential college for him. Despite being a foreign talent, Doncic has captured admiration and appreciation throughout the league.
Luka Doncic was one of the top European stars before entering the NBA
Luka Doncic rose to prominence as one of the best superstars in the league in recent years. Before making his NBA debut, however, many were unaware of Doncic’s status as one of the top European stars. While in Europe, Doncic competed for the Real Madrid basketball team.
The Slovenian superstar dominated the Euro League and won several awards, earning many accolades. People were shocked to see Doncic play at such a high level, considering he was only 18 years old. Doncic’s ability to score over anyone quickly propelled him to become the Euro league’s best player. In 2018, Doncic even won the Euro league MVP award and led Real Madrid to a championship.
NBA scouts further targeted Doncic as one of the primary prospects. Some people are still shocked that Doncic wasn’t the first overall draft pick. Doncic dropped to the #3 spot, where the Atlanta Hawks selected him. The Hawks then traded Doncic for Trae Young to the Mavericks. Since then, Doncic has shown his excellence on the court and has become one of the top stars in the NBA.
