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Luka Dončić 'Made His Own Class' Among NBA Greats, Says Mavs HC Jason Kidd
Although he is only in the midst of his fifth NBA season, Dallas Mavericks head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Jason Kidd has already seen enough out of Luka Dončić to declare him an all-time great.
After Dončić posted a historic 60-point, 21-rebound, 10-assist triple-double in a 126-121 overtime win against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, Kidd said the following about his superstar guard, per ESPN's Tim MacMahon: "To do something that's never been done before, that's hard to do. There's been some great players before him. Elgin Baylor and Wilt [Chamberlain], he was in that class, and then he separated himself and made his own class."
Dončić joined Baylor and Chamberlain as the only players in NBA history to post triple-doubles of at least 50 points and 20 rebounds, and became the first player in NBA history to have at least 60 points and 20 boards in a triple-double.
Kidd knows a thing or two about triple-doubles, as he is fourth on the all-time NBA list with 107 of them, although none were as dynamic as what Dončić pulled off against the Knicks.
Dončić already has a league-leading seven triple-doubles this season and 53 in his career, placing him 10th on the all-time list at just 23 years of age.
Even Mavs owner Mark Cuban marveled at what the soon-to-be four-time All-Star and NBA MVP candidate was able to accomplish Tuesday night:
Dončić is averaging a career-high 33.6 points, 8.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game this season, as well as 8.7 rebounds and 2.9 three-pointers made. He is also shooting a career-best 50.6 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc, making him highly efficient even with his significant volume.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect of Dončić's play this season is the fact that he is essentially carrying the Mavs on his back.
At 19-16, the Mavericks are currently in playoff position with the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference, and they have done it without a second star alongside Dončić.
Christian Wood and Spencer Dinwiddie have been productive this season, but neither is particularly close to being All-Star caliber, which speaks to how much Dallas relies on Dončić.
Last season was a similar story, as Dončić took the Mavs all the way to the Western Conference Finals. Dončić did have the aid of guard Jalen Brunson, however, who is playing at an All-Star level this season after signing with the Knicks.
Dončić has many productive years ahead of him and many more accolades to achieve, but he is already making his mark on the NBA record books, which suggests he could have what it takes to cement himself as one of the best ever.