Luka Dončić Compared to Lakers' LeBron James by Mavs' Jason Kidd After Win vs. Wolves

After Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Dončić nailed a go-ahead three-pointer with just three seconds remaining to give the Mavs a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference Finals over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, head coach Jason Kidd compared him to one of the all-time greats.

Per Sam Amick of The Athletic, Kidd effusively praised Doncic and drew parallels between him and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, among others:

"The IQ is extremely high. He can take and make any shot. He can pass like no other. LeBron might be a little bit better defensively, and understand passing lanes [better]. But when you talk about the stage—Ky [Irving], Luka, Dirk [Nowitzki]— he great ones aren't scared. If you miss that shot, he'll be like, 'Look, my bad. You guys got me where we needed to go, and I needed to deliver.' It's pretty cool to watch."

Dallas trailed for most of Friday's Game 2, but Dončić came through when it mattered most, knocking down a three over T'Wolves center and NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert:

With that, the Mavs head back to Dallas up 2-0 in the series and needing just two more wins to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2011.

Kidd has been around many of the greatest players of all time, including James. In addition to playing against James, Kidd spent two years as an assistant coach with the Lakers, and they won a title together in 2020.

Dončić is 25 and has yet to win a championship six years into his NBA career, but he finally has some elite talent around him in the form of Irving.

LeBron had to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers and team up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to win his first championship with the Miami Heat at the age of 27, and he later joined forces with Irving and Kevin Love to win a title with the Cavs.

Dončić is still the go-to guy, but he has the luxury of falling back on a future Hall of Famer in Irving, who has seen and done it all in the NBA, including winning a championship.

Luka has finished eighth or better in the NBA MVP voting in each of the past five seasons, including a career-best third-place finish this season when he averaged a career-high 33.9 points per game to go along with 9.8 assists and 9.2 rebounds.

In Friday's Game 2, Dončić led all scorers with 31 points and recorded a triple-double with 13 assists and 10 boards as well.

Much like LeBron has so many times throughout his illustrious career, Dončić is rising to the occasion on the biggest stage, and he is willing the Mavs to heights they haven't reached in years.

Nothing is guaranteed against a T-Wolves team led by Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Gobert, but Dončić seems to be clearly establishing himself as the best player in the series.

Due to his status as an elite player, Dončić in the Finals would be good for basketball, just like it has been every time LeBron has reached the NBA Finals.

Also, assuming the Boston Celtics are able to take down the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, it would set up a matchup between the NBA's best team and arguably its top player in Dončić.