Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic put on a dazzling display on Sunday evening in a win over against the Los Angeles Clippers, and earned high praise from Rick Carlisle. The Mavs' coach likened Doncic to former Dallas point guard Jason Kidd, as well as NBA Hall of Famer and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.
Carlisle said Luka Doncic and the two all-time greats share the intangible skill of making teammates better and harboring an intense will to win.
Mavericks’ Rick Carlisle compares Luka Doncic to Jason Kidd & Larry Bird: “Both those guys are from the same fabric competitively. Their will to win and resourcefulness. It’s not just about putting the ball in the basket. It’s about giving teammates’ confidence.” pic.twitter.com/rkUslN9TMM
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 23, 2020
The veteran head coach added that Luka Doncic sees the game in “6G.”
Mavericks’ Rick Carlisle on Luka Doncic (43P, 17R, 13A in Game 4 win over Clippers): “He sees the game in 6G, not 5G. It’s another level beyond what most people see it. That game was from another planet.” pic.twitter.com/usZPkDKQi0
— Ben Golliver (@BenGolliver) August 23, 2020
Carlisle knows quite a bit about both Kidd and Bird. He coached Kidd when the former All-Star played for the Mavericks from 2008 to 2012. Carlisle was also a teammate of Bird's during his playing days with the Boston Celtics, and later joined Bird's coaching staff with the Indiana Pacers.
It is not hard to see why Carlisle draws these comparisons with Luka Doncic.
Both Kidd and Bird could do everything on a basketball court, routinely stuffing every category in the stat sheet and elevating the play of their teammates in the process. Luka Doncic has done the same in his young NBA career.
Luka Doncic was a game-time decision on Sunday after suffering an ankle sprain in Game 3. By the end of the game, he had torched the Clippers for 43 points (including a sensational game-winner at the buzzer), 17 rebounds and 13 assists as the Mavs tied the series at two games apiece.
The final shot will be the indelible memory of this game. But Luka Doncic's greatness was really on full display in the third quarter, when he accounted for 25 of the team's 35 points (scoring and assisting) as the Mavs stormed into the lead.
Luka Doncic is continuing to dazzle with his generational ability. But Carlisle said his young star's ability to galvanize his teammates is what makes Luka special.
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