Just a few years ago Luka Doncic began grabbing attention with Real Madrid Baloncesto. His abundance of potential was clear for everyone to see, leading his team to the 2018 EuroLeague title while claiming the MVP award for himself. Spain was the springboard towards a stellar basketball career.

Since making the transatlantic switch to the NBA and the Dallas Mavericks, the Slovenian continues to enjoy his meteoric rise. While some internationally recruited players have struggled in the past, Doncic appears to have taken everything in his giant stride, determined to succeed at the very highest level of basketball in America.

Doncic was NBA Rookie of the Year in his first 2019 season with the Mavericks, followed by NBA All-Star selections in 2020 and 2021, consistently improving and becoming the central figure for his team. Such is the rising stock of this remarkable player, the latest NBA betting on bet365 has Doncic listed as a genuine MVP candidate this season, priced at 10.00 odds to claim the coveted award.

If performances this season are any indication, Doncic keeps getting better and better, registering the three highest-scoring regular season displays of his career. Even more impressively, and having only celebrated his 22nd birthday on the last day of February 2021, fellow professionals are also taking note of the swiftly rising NBA star.

The excellent form continues and was on display for the Mavs against the Brooklyn Nets recently, as Doncic produced what has become an average performance by his high standards. It was also the difference as his team kept a great spell of results going, beating the Nets 115-98 to end their impressive eight-game winning streak.

As the star man for the Nets and a serious MVP contender himself this year, James Harden was full of praise for his younger opponent. Doncic has already compared to NBA legends like Magic Johnson or Larry Bird, and “there are some similarities” Harden acknowledged post-game speaking to ESPN, while offering further praise.

“The Mavs got a special one,” underlined Harden, with absolutely no doubts about the talent and maturity shown by Doncic. “He never lets anyone speed him up, and he gets what he wants. That’s rare for a guy at his young age,” the Nets shooting guard and 2017-18 MVP award winner declared, appreciative of a fellow player who is consistently breaking new records.

After a difficult start to the campaign, mainly due to the absence of key players aside from Doncic himself, the Dallas Mavericks are now blazing a trail. After gaining such a strong result against the in-form Nets, which is undoubtedly going to boost morale ahead of upcoming games, the Mavs head into March having now balanced the books with 16 wins and 16 losses. Doncic will undoubtedly have a hand in their plans to reach the postseason playoffs.

Doncic was indirectly involved in another interesting record at the end of February. Such is the belief he could become the biggest star in the NBA, according to The Dallas Morning News reports, one wealthy fan splashed out $4.6 million for a unique Luka Doncic 2018-19 rookie season basketball card, signed by the player. Confidence that in the years to come and already adored in the American game, Doncic may become the biggest name in basketball.

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