After the Los Angeles Lakers and Dallas Mavericks shocked the NBA with their blockbuster trade, pairing NBA superstar Luka Dončić with LeBron James. At the same time, four-time All-NBA first-team center/power forward Anthony Davis went to Dallas.
The Lakers now have a clear vision for life after James retires. How old is Dončić, and when will the Lakers’ latest addition make his debut in purple and gold?
How Old Is Luka Dončić?
Dončić is 25 years old. He was born on February 28, 1999, and has been playing professionally overseas in Spain since he was 16.
He might not be that old in terms of years, but in basketball years, he has some mileage on him. He started to play in the NBA at the age of 19 when he was drafted by the Atlanta Hawks but traded on draft night to the Dallas Mavericks.
Dončić started playing as a pro when he signed with Real Madrid at the age of 16. He played there until he was 18 and old enough to enter the NBA draft.
He was selected third overall by the Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft and traded on draft night to the Mavericks, where he led them to the Western Conference championship last season.
Dončić Using Dallas’ Weight and Conditioning Criticism As Motivation
On the morning ahead of Dončić’s first game against the Mavericks, ESPN revealed that, according to an inside source, Dončić is using leaks from within the Dallas organization that they sent him packing due to concerns about his weight and work ethic as motivation. So, it’s safe to assume he’s had this matchup circled on his calendar since the trade.
Whether the reports of his poor conditioning and work ethic while in Dallas held any validity or not doesn’t much matter now, as the newest LA celebrity is putting those narratives to bed now that he’s a Laker.
“A beast was awakened inside him,” according to ESPN’s source. That beast reportedly pushed Dončić to work on his game at an outdoor court with Lakers assistant coach Scott Brooks and work out at his hotel gym while on vacation in Cabo San Lucas during the recent NBA All-Star break — habits that, if you believe the Mavericks’ leaks, were rare at best during his time in Dallas.
As for what the leaks specifically said, it was also ESPN that brought them to light when the trade first broke.
“The Mavericks were motivated to move Dončić because of his constant conditioning concerns, sources told [Tim] MacMahon,” Dave McMenamin wrote. “There had been significant frustration within the organization about Dončić’s lack of discipline regarding his diet and conditioning, which team sources considered a major factor in his injury issues.”
Regarding how that internal beast has influenced his form on the court, Dončić took a few games to find his feet with the Lakers, averaging just 14.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.3 assists over his first three games in the purple and gold. Now, it’s worth noting those were his first outings since returning from a calf injury sustained back in December, and he was on a minutes restriction for the first two.
Nevertheless, Dončić found his footing in a Feb. 22 matchup against the Denver Nuggets, leading the Lakers to a 123-100 win while stuffing the stat sheet with 32 points, 10 boards, seven assists, four steals, and a block. Alongside him, LeBron James poured in 25 points, nine rebounds, five assists, three blocks, and a steal, effectively quelling any doubts that the duo could perform as a tandem.
Unfortunately for those fans in it for the drama, the marquee bout between the new-look Lakers and Mavericks won’t feature Anthony Davis, who went down with an adductor injury in his otherwise stellar debut with his new team. Davis’ next chance to take on his former team comes April 9 in Dallas.
