Subscribe
Follow Us
In an era of basketball where most players seem to be friends with one another, one rivalry stands out. Luka Doncic versus Devin Booker has drawn plenty of headlines over the past few years. And the Doncic-Booker beef has emerged as the most compelling rivalry in the NBA.
Let's take a deep dive into the Doncic-Booker rivalry ahead of the Dallas Mavericks-Phoenix Suns upcoming Christmas Day clash.
History of the Luka Doncic-Devin Booker rivalry
The Suns and Mavs have been competitive for the most part in recent seasons. This has led to a number of pivotal matchups between Booker and Doncic.
However, the two stars actually could have been teammates. The Phoenix Suns held the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic was a candidate to be selected first overall, but Phoenix ultimately chose Deandre Ayton.
Luka obviously ended up with Dallas and the rest is history.
Booker once got fouled during a playoff series versus Dallas and stayed on the ground for a while after. He was caught on camera saying, “the Luka special.” Doncic likely caught wind of what Booker said and despite Phoenix leading in the series, which came during the 2021-22 NBA playoffs, Luka had a message for the Suns star.
“Everybody acting tough when they up, everybody acting tough.”
Luka Doncic and the Mavs ended up climbing back from a 3-2 deficit in the series to upset the Suns. In fact, Booker's comments motivated Dallas so much that the Mavericks ended up earning a 123-90 victory in Game 7.
The two have also had words for one another on the court, and said things to the media about each other.
Doncic comments on Booker feud
During a recent interview with Malika Andrews of ESPN, Doncic commented on playing against Booker.
“It's competitive basketball,” Doncic said. “I really love his game. The way he plays, a lot of times I watch Phoenix actually because of him. He's a really, really great player. But obviously we have this competition whenever we face each other.”
Andrews asked if we will see more feuds on the court between Doncic and Booker.
“I don't know, we will see,” Doncic responded. “Like I said, I respect him a lot. I love his game.”
In a sense, Doncic downplayed the rivalry. But he also noted that there is “competitive basketball” to be played between Booker and himself. And Luka is extremely competitive while on the court.
So what makes this specific rivalry so special?
Why the Doncic-Booker rivalry is currently the best
It wasn't long ago that many players in the NBA did not like each other. In the social media age, however, almost everything is recorded and it's easier for superstars to communicate with each other off the court.
Sure, this has led to some trash-talk on X (formerly Twitter). For the most part, many players appear to be friendly with one another even when on different teams.
But the NBA needed a good rivalry. Yes, Patrick Beverley, Grayson Allen, and Dillon Brooks have upset a lot of people with their play in recent seasons. Of course, Draymond Green has faced multiple suspensions in 2023 for incidents on the court. The league needed two true superstars to develop beef with one another, though.
And that is exactly what it got with Doncic and Booker. As Luka noted, there is an element of respect between the stars since both players are so good at what they do. However, it is clear that Luka Doncic and Devin Booker are not the best of friends.
It's led to an enticing brand of basketball. Two stars doing everything in their power to lead their teams to victory over one another. In the end, both Doncic and Booker want to win every game.
They would probably both admit that the motivation increases when they go head-to-head. The Mavs-Suns Christmas Day game may bring more fireworks. And if Dallas and Phoenix square off in another postseason clash, one can only imagine how competitive the series would be.
The Suns have struggled in recent action and will bring a 14-14 record into Monday's game. Dallas will host the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night, currently holding a 16-12 record. The Mavs will then have an off-day before the Christmas Day affair.
Monday's tip-off is scheduled for 10:30 PM EST as Luka Doncic and Devin Booker prepare for what should be an epic rematch.
