Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young and Dallas Mavericks point forward Luka Doncic have been pitted against each other ever since they were drafted back in 2018. After all, the Hawks had originally picked Doncic, and the Mavs drafted Young. They were almost immediately traded for one another, and have both put up impressive numbers ever since.
According to Dwain Price of Mavs.com, Young had nothing to say but praise regarding his fellow sophomore. On an interview preceding the recently concluded Rising Stars game, he said:
It’s kind of crazy we both are in our second year, and being All-Star starters is pretty great. He’s had a helluva year and I know he’s going to have a helluva career.
The 6-foot-1 point guard is currently a top 5 scorer at 29.7 points per game and has been a leader for the Hawks. His efforts, however, have not translated to wins. Doncic, on the other hand, has been tearing up the court for the Mavs with frequent triple-doubles and is even mentioned as an MVP frontrunner.
The duo had fun in the Rising Stars game, with the Hawks guard playing for Team USA, and Doncic for Team World. They ended with 18 points and 16 points, respectively. A notable moment between the two was captured when the Slovenian star hit a buzzer-beating half-court heave in front of the Trae’s face. Young later said that he had dared Luka to shoot it.
Young will see action once more on Saturday in the 3-Point contest. He will be competing against the likes of reigning champion Joe Harris and first-time All-Star Devin Booker.
Luka will then rejoin the festivities on Sunday at the All-Star game, where they will again be starting on opposing teams — Luka on Team LeBron, Trae on Team Giannis.
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