Listen, if you are 19-years-old and ball is life, I completely get being a giant fanboy of someone like LeBron James. Heck, if you’re FORTY-nine-years-old being a giant fanboy of LeBron James is understandable.
So imagine what it would be like to be 19-years-old and get to actually play againstr LeBron James like Dallas Mavericks star rookie Luka Doncic got to do Wednesday night.
Doncic, who the Mavs acquired with the third pick in the 2018 NBA Draft (much Atlanta Hawks’ fans dismay), has been lighting it up so far like very few teens have ever done before in the NBA averaging almost 20 points, over six boards, and more than four assists per game.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t translated into wins for Dallas yet as they fell to the Lakers 114-113 to drop to 2-6 on the young season.
Luckily for Doncic, he was able to take home a consolation prize in the form of an autographed LeBron James Lakers jersey.
How he got it, however, is pretty much the way you or I would have though as he waited in the hallway by the Lakers’ locker room until a team official delivered the goods.
— George Efkarpides (@gefkarpides) November 1, 2018
James signed the jersey to “Luka D” adding the message “Continue to #StriveForGreatness.”
“I always wanted his jersey,” Doncic said after the game. “It was something special to me.”
For his part, James says he isn’t terribly surprised at how well Doncic has adapted to the NBA.
“I think European players are developed faster than NBA guys, meaning American players,” James told reporters. “I think he’s been in a pro development stage now for how many years? Since he’s 15? So I don’t think this is intimidating to him. I don’t think this game is something he hasn’t seen before.”
Maybe someday a young NBA player will be fanboying over Doncic. Wouldn’t that be something, Hawks fans?
— Dan Woike (@DanWoikeSports) November 1, 2018
— Paolo Uggetti (@PaoloUggetti) November 1, 2018
