Dallas Mavericks: Luka Doncic wants to face LeBron

Dallas Mavericks rookie and Slovenian sensation Luka Doncic reports to ESPN that he is pumped to face LeBron and the Lakers this season.

The Dallas Mavericks and their fans are excited about the upcoming season.  The additions of Luka Doncic in the draft and DeAndre Jordan in free agency are massive reasons why.   Both players likely immediately become starters and improve the team tremendously.

Doncic is an NBA rookie but has played professionally in Spain for Real Madrid since age 15.  That includes two preseason games against NBA competition and facing NBA veteran players in international competitions.  Doncic has already played against many of the league’s top names.

Rookie photo shoot

The NBA had their rookie photo shoot in recent days featuring all the top rookies.  Luckily, ESPN was there and provided us with some interesting questions and answers from this class.  You can read the full ESPN article here featuring excerpts from all the top names.

Luka Doncic faced the question of which player he wanted to compete against during his rookie season, and the answer was LeBron James.  He even went as far as to say LeBron was “his idol”.  Doncic also favored James to win the MVP award this season.

That is exciting that Doncic wants to play against the best players in the league.  That shows his confidence and determination to be great.  Remember Doncic was the MVP in the Euroleague last season, but he came to the NBA for a new challenge.  Expect him to have a little extra fire to face LeBron and the Lakers this season.

The first meeting between the two teams takes place on Oct. 31 in Los Angeles.

Final thoughts

Luka Doncic is excited to face LeBron James this season, and that is a positive sign for Mavs fans.  Expect the 19-year-old rookie to come out strong this season.  He has a high basketball IQ and should not fade under the bright lights.

Doncic may struggle shooting from the field early in the season as he adjusts to the faster pace and deeper 3-point line in the NBA.

Expect him to the right the ship quickly and push to win the Rookie of the Year award by season’s end.  Luka Doncic will bring plenty of excitement to Dallas Mavericks fans this season that is one guarantee.

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