Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is truly one of the most special players in the NBA today. There are simply very few people capable of doing what he does on a basketball court and his pairing with LeBron James gives the Lakers one of the best duos in the entire league.
James is one of the best players in NBA history and while he was obviously blessed with unreal physical gifts, it is his high basketball IQ that really separates him from everyone else. While Doncic didn’t get anywhere near those athletic gifts that James has, when it comes to the mental side of the game, he is right there with his Lakers teammate.
LeBron himself spoke about this in an interview with Jason Gay of The Wall Street Journal, calling Luka a savant of the game of basketball and adding that to be able to think the game of basketball on that level makes all the difference:
“I just love the way he approaches the game,” says LeBron James. “I love the way he plays the game. More importantly, man, he’s just a great f—ing guy.”
It’s the day after Doncic signed his new extension, and the senior Laker and billionaire, on the last stretch of vacation, is taking a moment to rhapsodize all things Luka.
“Big-time savant of the game,” James says. “I always use IQ as a measuring point in basketball—guys who can think the game. There are so many guys in our league who can play the game, but to be able to think the game as well puts you at another level.”
Doncic may not be the quickest or be able to jump the highest, but that high IQ is what allows for him to be so unstoppable on the basketball court. His ability to see things on the court well before they happen not only allows for him to get his own shot at will, but to set his teammates up for easy buckets as well.
If anyone can recognize that James is certainly that guy as he has been doing unreal things on the basketball court for more than two decades now. And the two of them together on the Lakers gives this team a chance against anyone on any given night.
Luka Doncic expects to develop as leader on Lakers in preseason
Luka Doncic is the centerpiece of the Lakers and is primed to take over the mantle from LeBron James. But it’s not just about being the best player, it’s also about stepping up as a leader and Luka believes that will develop once the team is back together and hits the court in the preseason.
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