Luke Doncic's introduction to the world of international basketball was bigger than any bang an 18-year-old has made at the highest level of competition. A 6-foot-6 guard/forward with incredibly well-rounded talent, Doncic impressed during the first eight games of EuroBasket 2017, leading his national team of Slovenia to their first final in any competition, ultimately taking the gold against Serbia 93-85 despite leaving in the third quarter with an ankle injury.

Doncic had only eight points, seven rebounds, and two assists during his 23-minute stint on Sunday, but his motor and emotion were ultimately the difference-maker, rubbing off on his teammates even when he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The young talent was fearless — equally committed to defense as he was at the offensive end, constantly looking to put his team on top, no matter what it took. Doncic was rewarded by being part of the All-Star five of the tournament, notably helped by teammate Goran Dragic as he limped to the stage.

“I feel like I want to be the hero of the game, you know?” Doncic told Mike Schmitz of ESPN. “Every time I wanted the ball in my hands, from the very beginning. I have missed some important shots before but you need to learn from this. You need to move on. If you have a nice game or a bad game, you will have a thousand more games.”

Doncic was 3-of-10 on both the final and semifinal games of the competition, but showed an innate ability to provide for his team in other ways, nearly totaling a triple-double in his semifinal effort again Spain.

He's projected to be in the top three of next year's draft, next to top high-school prospects Michael Porter Jr. and Marvin Bagley III.