Luka Dončić (pronounced LOO-kə DON-chitch; Slovene: [ˈlùːka ˈdòːntʃitʃ]), born on February 28, 1999, is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA. He also plays for the Slovenian national basketball team and is widely considered one of the greatest European players in basketball history.
No. 77 – Dallas Mavericks
Position: Point guard / Shooting guard
League: NBA
Personal Information
Born: February 28, 1999 (age 25)
Place of Birth: Ljubljana, Slovenia
Height: 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)
Weight: 230 lb (104 kg)
Career Information
NBA Draft: 2018, 1st round, 3rd overall pick (Selected by the Atlanta Hawks)
Playing Career: 2015–present
Career Highlights and Awards
- 5× NBA All-Star (2020–2024)
- 5× All-NBA First Team (2020–2024)
- NBA Rookie of the Year (2019)
- NBA All-Rookie First Team (2019)
- NBA Scoring Champion (2024)
- EuroLeague Champion (2018)
- EuroLeague MVP (2018)
- EuroLeague Final Four MVP (2018)
- All-EuroLeague First Team (2018)
- 2× EuroLeague Rising Star (2017, 2018)
- EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team (2020)
- Euroscar Player of the Year (2019)
- 3× Liga ACB Champion (2015, 2016, 2018)
- Liga ACB MVP (2018)
- All-Liga ACB First Team (2018)
- 2× ACB Best Young Player (2017, 2018)
- 3× ACB All-Young Players Team (2016–2018)
- 2× Spanish King's Cup Winner (2016, 2017)
Born in Ljubljana, Dončić first gained attention as a youth player for Union Olimpija before joining the youth academy of Real Madrid. At just 16 years old, he made his debut for the senior team in 2015, becoming the youngest player in club history. In 2016, at age 17, he made his senior debut for the Slovenian national team. He played a key role in helping Slovenia win its first EuroBasket title in 2017, earning a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Dončić led Real Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title, where he was named both the EuroLeague MVP and the Final Four MVP. He also won the ACB Most Valuable Player award, as well as back-to-back EuroLeague Rising Star and ACB Best Young Player honors. Dončić was named to the EuroLeague 2010–20 All-Decade Team.
In 2018, Dončić declared for the NBA Draft, where he was selected third overall by the Atlanta Hawks before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He was unanimously named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and earned Rookie of the Year honors for the 2018–19 season. Since then, Dončić has been selected to five consecutive NBA All-Star games and has earned five All-NBA First Team selections. He led the NBA in scoring during the 2023–24 season, becoming the first European player to do so and only the second international player in NBA history to achieve this feat. That same season, he guided the Mavericks to their third NBA Finals appearance. Dončić also holds the Mavericks' franchise record for career triple-doubles and most points in a single season.
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