SUMMARY
- Goran Dragic spoke about watching Luka Doncic grow up in Slovenian when he competed with Saša Doncic.
- The retired NBA player claimed Doncic always showed potential of dominating the NBA.
Luka Doncic rose to fame immediately after making his rookie debut in 2018. Even though he wasn’t the No.1 overall pick, the Slovenian basketball star played better than every topic pick in his draft class and of yesteryear. Today, Doncic stands as a top three MVP candidate in the NBA competing against a champion and 2x MVP, Nikola Jokic.
#LukaDoncic was more than fired up after this step back pic.twitter.com/ivdOfBwzeT
— Basketball Network (@ballnetwork) April 25, 2024
Retired NBA star Goran Dragic recently made an appearance on Udonis Harlem’s podcast called The OGs. The former NBA All-Star highlighted a few points on his time in the league and the differences between playing basketball in Europe and the United States. But as always, Luka Doncic never fails to become a topic of discussion, and Dragic had nothing but praise for his fellow Slovenian athlete.
Goran Dragic always knew Luka Doncic would dominate the NBA
Goran Dragic previously competed in the Slovenian League years before joining the NBA. The former Miami Heat Eastern Conference Champion won multiple accolades in Slovenia while playing alongside Luka Doncic’s father, Saša Doncic. Dragic knew Luka as a toddler as his parents used to bring him to games.
He said, “Yeah, he was like 3 [or] 2, he would come a watch [the games]. You know, he would be at practices. His mom would bring him or his dad. And then, when he was older, like 8 [or] 7, he would be a ball boy or come to watch the games.” An image of Luka Doncic, Dragic, and the Slovenian national team holding a trophy appeared.
Dragic continued, “Like here, we were champions and Luka is right there. Every picture is Luka in the green jersey. It’s crazy. And even back then when he would play, he was 10 [or] 11, he was so dominant even then. He would score 40, 50, [or] 60 points. He was already a hooper.” Luka made his professional debut in 2015 for Real Madrid. He followed in his father’s footsteps and also won a EuroBasket Championship in 2017.
Luka played alongside Dragic in 2017 for Slovenia and the latter claimed that was when he realised the 25-year-old would dominate. He said, “We had training camp for the national team two months before EuroBasket. He was 17 and just watching him at practice? Oh my god, he would make some passes that I don’t even know how he was doing that. His IQ was so good at 17, it’s like I knew it.” However, Dragic only had concern over his agility coming into the league.
Goran Dragic believes the Mavericks will win a title, eventually
Right now, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks look like a serious contender for the 2024 NBA Championship in the Western Conference. Besides running for MVP, winning the NBA title has been a priority for Doncic since competing in the Western Conference Finals in 2022. Goran Dragic believes Doncic can win the title but there are still adjustments to be made to his game.
He said, “He can win. But maybe he needs to change a little bit. Maybe trust more [in] his teammates. I’m not saying [that he doesn’t] because he [does] pass the ball. But just get off the ball a little bit more. Because if you have the ball so much in your hand you get tired. And then it’s a long season. And even in the playoffs, I think that’s too much.” But Doncic has never been prone to injuries and even proved he can compete for long stretches without losing consistency.