The NBA is home to the best basketball players walking the world today. Known as America's league, in recent years the NBA has seen a number of foreign players hit the courts for some of the biggest teams in the game.
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00:00 The NBA is home to the best basketball players walking the world today.
00:12 Known as America's League, in recent years the NBA has seen a number of foreign players
00:17 hit the courts for some of the biggest teams in the game.
00:23 From MVPs like Steve Nash and Dirk Nowitzki, it's no longer uncommon to see stars from
00:29 all over the world grace the NBA's stages.
00:34 One of the biggest young talents to have emerged from nowhere into superstardom has been Slovenian
00:40 point guard Luka Doncic.
00:44 Doncic erupted into the NBA scene just a few years ago and is widely considered one of
00:49 the best ball players in the world today.
00:55 But how did Luka Doncic rise to basketball prominence?
00:59 Here's a look back at his meteoric rise to stardom.
01:04 Luka Doncic was born in Ljubljana.
01:07 Doncic shone as a youth player for Union Olympia when he was just a boy.
01:15 But his height set some obstacles for him along the way.
01:19 He bloomed a bit later than other boys and had to rely on his talent to make it in sports.
01:26 His skill with a basketball was undeniable.
01:30 And when he was a teenager he joined the Real Madrid Youth Academy.
01:36 In the 2014-15 season, Doncic mainly played with Real Madrid's under-18 team and reserve
01:43 team, averaging 13.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
01:53 It wasn't long before he was debuting for the senior team at just 15 years old, making
01:59 him the youngest in club history and one of the rising stars in the European game.
02:07 Two years later, he led Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title, winning the EuroLeague MVP
02:14 as well as the Final Four MVP.
02:19 Doncic was also named the ACB Most Valuable Player and won back-to-back EuroLeague Rising
02:25 Star and ACB Best Young Player awards.
02:31 As a result of his prowess, he was selected to the EuroLeague 2010-20 All-Decade team,
02:38 which meant the big leagues would soon be calling.
02:44 In 2018, Doncic entered the NBA Draft, joining the Dallas Mavericks.
02:49 He was selected unanimously to the NBA All-Rookie First Team and won Rookie of the Year for
02:55 the 2018-19 season.
03:00 He has been cementing his legend in basketball with legendary performances and incredible
03:06 feats of skill.
03:09 In a 2022 game against the Golden State Warriors, Doncic became the first player in NBA history
03:15 to average 30 points, 10 rebounds, and 8 assists per game while shooting at least 40% from
03:22 3-point range in a calendar month since the 3-point era from 1980.
03:31 And his star is still on the rise.
03:34 Many have him in the running for MVP of the league this year.
03:38 Only time will tell if he will win after all.
03:44 One thing is for certain, Luka Doncic is here to stay.
03:48 [music]