Image Source: NBA TV
[Saba Sports News] After the Mavericks’ close-out game against the Timberwolves, 5x All-Star Luka Doncic shared his childhood experience with the NBA Finals. Candidly, Luka explained he didn’t watch the Finals due to the games airing early in the morning for his family.
Interviewer: “Growing up watching the NBA Finals late at night, what does it mean to you?” Luka Doncic: “I didn’t watch because it was four in the morning and I had school the next day.”
Despite not watching the Finals in his youth, Luka Doncic will experience the moment firsthand when the series begins on Thursday, June 6. At 25, Luka is grateful to reach this stage, acknowledging the challenging journey.
“It means a lot, it means a lot,” said Doncic. “It’s not easy. It was a very hard road, very hard. But we are here and obviously, we are not done. We need four more but, today, I think we deserve to enjoy this win.”
Born in Ljubljana, Slovenia, in 1999, Luka grew up six hours ahead of New York City’s Eastern Standard Time. Watching the Finals live would have required staying up until the middle of the night, a challenge given his school schedule. Luka continues to watch more EuroLeague games, reflecting his upbringing.
Luka’s basketball skills developed without regular NBA viewing, and by the time he was old enough to stay up for the games, he was already a basketball prodigy in the EuroLeague. Now, in just a few years in the NBA, he’s made the Conference Finals twice and could potentially win it all this year.
With six years of NBA experience, Luka’s resume is on an all-time great trajectory. The 6’7″ guard from Slovenia is a 5x All-Star and just had his best season, averaging 33.9 points (league high), 9.8 assists, and 9.2 rebounds per game on 48.7% shooting.
The Mavericks, led by Doncic and star point guard Kyrie Irving, hope to overwhelm the Celtics with their superior scoring.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla has emphasized that the Celtics will show resistance against Luka and Irving, who are considered the best duo in basketball right now. Whether they can maintain their performance against a deeper, younger, and more talented Celtics team remains to be seen.