2 weeks Ago
On the night Luka Doncic returned to Dallas, the Mavericks condensed his American basketball career into an emotion-filled two minutes full of game-winners, highlight passes and trick shots that helped connect the Slovenian star to the Texas city. As Doncic watched the footage, occasionally hiding his eyes behind a white tear-filled towel, one moment in particular stood out as most special. It was Game 2 of the 2024 Western Conference finals, his team down by two points, the final seconds ticking off the clock.
Rudy Gobert, the league's four-time defensive player of the year, stood out at the three-point line attempting to stop the inevitable from happening. Doncic, in one of the biggest moments of his career, moved Gobert to the left, to the right and then back toward the paint, opening a window for Doncic to make the big shot in the big moment. Advertisement He celebrated with a scream, joy and anger combining for uncontainable passion and an image that'll define Doncic.
"I like big games," Doncic said with a half-smirk on Thursday. "Playoffs is a fun time." The Lakers are about to see if Doncic's reputation as one of the league's premiere big-time players carries over to their stage.
After he was dealt from the Mavericks, some people wondered how Doncic would fit in Los Angeles, the star player living mostly in the shadows off the court. Would he even want the kind of stardom that Los Angeles could give him? That was the wrong question. It wasn't about being a star; it was about having the stage.
× Luka Doncic scores over Rudy Gobert in the final seconds of Game 2 of the 2024 Western Conference finals. "Typically guys that love being on stage and love the..
. Dan Woike.
