Long before Luka Doncic was lighting up NBA scoreboards in the illustrious purple and gold, the Slovenian had already established himself as a generational talent.
Doncic has spent his career constantly exceeding expectations. Yet for all his records, accolades and historic performances, the NBA’s most prestigious individual award has continued to elude him.
Now 27 years of age, Doncic is spearheading a transformed Lakers team that has opened the season with 11 wins in their first 13 games.
Could this finally be the season Luka Magic becomes MVP? Sports News Blitz writer Wanga Charma gives his thoughts.
From Madrid, with magic
While many future NBA stars were still navigating high school basketball and the American AAU circuit, Doncic was already making a name for himself in Europe.
Doncic joined Real Madrid's academy at just 13 years old, making his senior debut three years later, in 2015.
In 2017, he helped Slovenia win EuroBasket, and in the 2017/18 season, he won a EuroLeague title, EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP at just 19 years of age.
He wasn't simply dominating opponents his age. He was outperforming established professionals. Before America discovered Luka Magic, Madrid had already witnessed the trick.
Dallas’ next great European
There is a deep sense of irony in the fact that even after he conquered Europe, Doncic was not among the first two selections in his class.
Let’s not understate the fact that third overall is still an incredible achievement, but there were questions about whether his overseas success could translate to the NBA.
Selected third overall by Atlanta, his draft rights were immediately traded to Dallas for Trae Young's draft rights (fifth pick) and a protected 2019 first-round pick.
The state of Texas has long been home to some of the NBA's greatest international players. However, few left a legacy quite like Dallas Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki.
Dirk had built a championship legacy in Dallas, and in the late 2010s, the German legend was entering the final chapters of an accomplished NBA career.
These final chapters just so happened to coincide with the opening act of Luka’s show.
In his first NBA season, Doncic averaged 21.2 points per game, 7.8 rebounds per game and 6.0 assists. He was named the Rookie of the Year in a landslide victory that saw him earn 98 out of 100 first-place votes and 496 out of 500 possible points.
From Germany to Slovenia, the torch was passed from one European to another, and in Dallas’ first season without Dirk in 21 years, his successor answered the call almost immediately.
If his rookie season was impressive, his sophomore campaign was almost incomprehensible.
At just 20 years old, Doncic elevated his scoring average by 7.6 points to a staggering 28.8 points per game, alongside 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists.
He led the entire NBA with 17 triple-doubles and orchestrated what was, at the time, the most efficient offence in NBA history.
To put his production into perspective, only Oscar Robertson and Russell Westbrook had previously averaged at least 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists across an NBA season.
By the end of his second campaign, Doncic had earned his first All-NBA First Team selection and finished fourth in MVP voting.
The Slovenian wasn't simply establishing himself as the future of the league. At just 21, he was already competing with the very best.
Dirk Nowitzki had left the Mavericks with a championship legacy to protect. In Luka Doncic, Dallas appeared to have found the man destined to write its next chapter.
A King without a crown
The absurd statistics quickly became the norm for the Don. He was stuffing the stat sheet on a nightly basis, and after every record-breaking performance, NBA fans had to constantly reassess what his true ceiling is as a basketball player.
Beyond the numbers, he had a truly unconventional playstyle. A deliberate tempo and cadence, footwork, size, deception, lights-out shooting and out-of-this-world playmaking.
While questions surrounding his conditioning and athleticism grew louder throughout his Dallas tenure, they rarely seemed to diminish his offensive production.
Doncic was never the quickest player on the court. He simply had a habit of being three steps ahead of everyone else.
The difference between being a great player and an all-time great lies mostly in the ability for a player to elevate themselves in the postseason.
We have seen time and again a player's ability to dominate in the regular season but completely disappear in high-stakes scenarios.
This was not the case with Luka Doncic.
In 2022, Dallas reached the Western Conference Finals for the first time in over ten years. And while they lost 4-1 to Stephen Curry’s eventual champion Golden State Warriors, a then 23-year-old Doncic averaged 32.0 in that series.
In the 2024 postseason, the Mavericks would take another step forward and finally make the NBA Finals for the first time since that 2011 triumph.
They defeated the Clippers, Thunder and Timberwolves en route to the Finals, before falling 4-1 to a deep and defensively stout Boston Celtics team.
Doncic led that postseason in total points, rebounds and assists, yet ultimately came up three wins short of the Championship.
Such became the tale of Doncic’s spell in Dallas. A prodigious star oozing with greatness and with all talent in the world.
An MVP and a championship were considered to be foregone conclusions. Yet, for all his remarkable performances, the MVP remained elusive.
It was hardly surprising given the calibre of competition. Giannis Antetokounmpo secured consecutive awards in 2019 and 2020, Nikola Jokić followed with back-to-back triumphs in 2021 and 2022, and Joel Embiid's dominant 33.1-point campaign earned him the honour in 2023.
Even Doncic's historic 2023/24 season, in which he averaged 33.9 points, 9.2 rebounds and 9.8 assists, was only enough for third in MVP voting.
Jokić claimed his third award after another exceptional season, averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds and 9.0 assists for a 57-win Denver Nuggets team.
Doncic was not necessarily being overlooked. He was competing against some of the greatest individual talents of his generation.
Texas belonged to Luka, and his future as the franchise's cornerstone seemed unquestionable. Apparently, the Mavericks had other ideas.
The trade that broke Dallas
On February 2, 2025, the NBA world was up in arms.
It was announced that the Dallas Mavericks were trading Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers in a three-team transaction centred around Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick.
Now, to call this trade boneheaded would be a severe understatement. Given Doncic’s age, accomplishments thus far and his remaining potential, LA had seemingly fleeced Dallas.
Dallas were reportedly concerned about Doncic’s defence, conditioning and long-term durability. So they turned to an older and more injury-prone Anthony Davis. While his defensive impact is undeniable, it does not necessarily justify moving a generational talent.
Mavericks fans were outraged, Lakers fans were overjoyed, but Doncic himself struggled with the change.
Lakers governor Jeanie Buss would later reveal that Doncic's arrival was not the joyous occasion many had imagined.
Speaking on ‘Pretty Tough’ with Maria Sharapova in April 2026, Buss acknowledged that Doncic had left his heart in Dallas and needed time to adjust to his new surroundings.
In the space of one night, Doncic lost the only NBA home he had ever known. He gained the most glamorous stage in basketball, but inheriting a kingdom and learning to rule it are two very different challenges.
Two kings, one kingdom
Los Angeles has seen the biggest and brightest NBA stars grace their courts. From Magic and Kareem in the 80s, Shaq and Kobe in the 90s and 2000s and finally LeBron James, who had been the face of the franchise since 2018.
LA already had ‘The King’ as their franchise player at the time, and while on paper the thought of Luka and LeBron was a tantalising one from a basketball standpoint, on the court it was a little bit different.
Los Angeles had shown flashes of the brilliance expected from a LeBron–Luka partnership. However, the roster around them still lacked the defensive balance and interior depth necessary to consistently challenge the league's best.
Again, it was not to say those two players couldn’t coexist. It was just a question of what their ceiling was as a duo.
In 2024/25, LA finished 50-32 but got bounced in the first round to Minnesota.
Last year the Lakers improved to 53-29, with Doncic winning the scoring title at 33.5 points per game. They beat Houston in round one but were swept by Oklahoma City in the conference semifinals.
Crucially, Doncic missed that postseason because of a hamstring injury.
It was progress, but still a far cry from the championship formula needed to compete.
His scoring prowess, exceptional efficiency and leadership made him a worthy recipient on both occasions.
Doncic's pursuit of the MVP was not a question of whether he belonged amongst the league's elite, but whether he could finally produce a season that separated him from them.
The Lakers had witnessed what Luka could accomplish alongside one of basketball's greatest legends. Now they would discover what he could do with the franchise entirely to himself.
READ MORE: NBA news: Philadelphia 76ers continue to shine as Luka Dončić leads MVP race and rookies impress
Dallas 2.0: Built for Luka
After LeBron announced his departure from the Lakers on June 30th, he subsequently joined Philadelphia.
Instead of searching for another superstar to replace him, the franchise invested in a different model: building around Doncic's specific strengths.
This was not a minor retool either. According to NBA.com's season preview, Los Angeles returned only 42% of its previous season's minutes, the lowest proportion in the league.
However, amidst the sweeping changes, one familiar face remained crucial to the Lakers' plans: Austin Reaves.
The undrafted guard had steadily developed into one of the league's most effective secondary creators. In 2025/26, Reaves averaged a career-high 23.3 points and 5.5 assists per game.
Alongside Doncic, the pair formed the NBA's highest-scoring duo, combining for 56.8 points per game, with the Lakers boasting a 30-11 record when both featured.
With LeBron's departure, Reaves was no longer simply a supporting piece. He was now Luka's established running mate, forming the foundation of a new-look Lakers backcourt.
Rather than simply adding talent, the Lakers' offseason acquisitions were designed to address the team's glaring deficiencies while maximising Doncic's greatest strengths.
The most significant addition was 7-foot-2 centre, Walker Kessler. An elite rim protector and rebounder, Kessler provides a reliable defensive presence in the paint while also serving as an ideal pick-and-roll partner and lob threat for Doncic.
Kevon Looney and Sandro Mamukelashvili further bolster the frontcourt, bringing additional rebounding, screening and offensive versatility, with the latter offering a valuable floor-spacing option.
On the perimeter, Quentin Grimes, Matisse Thybulle and Ziaire Williams bring much-needed defensive versatility, length and athleticism.
Their ability to take on tougher defensive assignments helps alleviate some of Luka's responsibilities on that end of the court. Grimes also offers valuable catch-and-shoot potential, creating additional space for Doncic to operate.
Finally, Collin Sexton and Jaden Hardy provide additional scoring and ball-handling options. Their presence gives the Lakers more offensive flexibility, particularly during stretches when Doncic rests, allowing the team to maintain its attacking threat without relying exclusively on its superstar.
Interestingly, this roster construction bears a striking resemblance to the Dallas Mavericks team that reached the 2024 NBA Finals.
In Dallas, Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II were Doncic's rim-running big men; P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. provided defensive support on the wings, while Kyrie Irving served as his superstar backcourt partner.
While Reaves offers a different skill set to Irving, the philosophy remains familiar: surround Doncic with capable defenders, reliable interior targets and a secondary creator who can shoulder the offensive burden.
It is a formula that has already taken Doncic to the NBA Finals. Now, the Lakers are hoping it can take him one step further.
With his supporting cast redesigned and the offence placed firmly in his hands, the only question remaining was whether Doncic could turn the Lakers' ambitious rebuild into results. Twelve games into the season, the answer has been emphatic.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: NBA news: Chicago Bulls’ nightmare start to the season - What needs to change?
“He's averaging forty!”
Granted, we are a mere 13 games into the new NBA season, but Doncic has already shattered the perception of what his ceiling could be.
38.6 points per game, 7.5 rebounds, 7.6 assists, but most importantly, the Lakers sit at the top of the stacked Western Conference.
What makes his production even more remarkable is that even with the incredibly heavy offensive load and the high usage rate, Doncic remains absurdly efficient.
Shooting 48.9% from the field, 40.8% from three and 86.6% from the line through his first eleven games.
52 points on October 25 against Utah, and just under two weeks later, Doncic goes for 53 against the Trail Blazers on November 6.
Beyond the statistical avalanche, the Lakers as a collective are finally playing as a cohesive and well-put-together unit.
The numbers are astonishing. The victories are beginning to follow. But perhaps the most remarkable part of Doncic's early MVP campaign is that the Lakers have finally given him a team designed to make his brilliance sustainable.
The crown awaits
From European wonderkid to Dallas' chosen successor and now the face of Los Angeles, Doncic has spent a lifetime proving that he belongs among basketball's very best.
The young Slovenian has already conquered Europe, rewritten NBA records and reached the sport's grandest stage.
Perhaps this is the year he finally claims the crown as the Most Valuable Player.
READ NEXT: NBA news: 76ers shock Knicks, Thunder outclass Spurs and Pistons overturn Celtics on opening night
