Luka Dončić's meteoric rise continues to draw praise from NBA legends and analysts alike. The 26-year-old Lakers star had led Los Angeles to eight straight victories before a 111-101 defeat at the hands of the star-studded Boston Celtics on Saturday. Since fully recovering from a calf injury, Luka's performance has returned to form-earning comparisons to some of basketball's most iconic names.
ESPN's Bobby Marks offered perhaps the most eye-opening comparison during a recent episode of the Get Up broadcast, likening Dončić's skillset to a blend of two Hall of Fame point guards.
"If I close my eyes, I can see a combination of Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson," Marks said of the five-time All-Star.
"If I close my eyes, I can see a combination of Jason Kidd and Magic Johnson."
-@BobbyMarks42 on Luka Doncic pic.twitter.com/mBWcwShsx5
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 7, 2025
This might seem like unrealistic praise, but as Luka's career develops, we're seeing that Magic Johnson comparison gain credibility. For instance, last Tuesday Dončić became just the fourth Laker ever to record 30 points and 15 assists in a game, joining Johnson, Jerry West, and LeBron James in that exclusive club.
Even Celtics star Jaylen Brown, who spent much of Saturday night making life difficult for Dončić defensively, couldn't help but acknowledge the Slovenian's transcendent talent after their matchup.
"I think Luka is one of the greats. He is a generational talent," Brown told Noa Dalzell of Celtics Blog. "Offensively his talent is next to none. So he's one of my favorite players on that side of the ball."
Jaylen Brown expressed the respect he has for Luka - and how he's spent time studying his game:
"Luka is one of the greats. He is one of those generational talents."
"He's one of my favorite players on that side of the ball. So, I spend a lot of time watching his game." pic.twitter.com/t9o5cypHDZ
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) March 9, 2025
Despite Brown's physical defense limiting Dončić early in the game, the Lakers guard finished with an impressive 34 points, eight rebounds and three assists on 11-for-22 shooting, including 5-for-10 from beyond the arc.
Perhaps the most shocking praise comes from Dončić's former coach Jason Kidd, who made the claim that the 24-year-old has already surpassed Mavericks legend Dirk Nowitzki. Following Dončić's historic 73-point outburst against Atlanta in January, Kidd didn't just say his former star was "better than Dirk" – he suggested Dončić is approaching the rarefied air occupied by LeBron James and Michael Jordan.
Here's a clip from The Downbeat this morning as Jason Kidd joined @badkaratemovie@MikeSirois and @ktfuntweets
Listen to The Downbeat every morning 6-10am. And catch all of their segments below or anywhere you get your podcasts https://t.co/5WFbr4o0prpic.twitter.com/foKoqtMtbg
— 97.1 The Freak (@971TheFreak) January 30, 2024
Kidd, who spent four-plus seasons playing alongside Nowitzki and witnessed Dirk lead Dallas to the 2011 championship, confidently predicted that Dončić would win multiple NBA titles.
As Dončić seamlessly integrates with LeBron in Los Angeles, we've already seen the duo combine for 63 points, 19 rebounds, and 20 assists in last Thursday's overtime win against New York, just two nights after posting 64/16/21 against New Orleans.
Lakers coach JJ Redick deserves credit for carefully easing Dončić into the lineup, allowing him to both recover fully from his calf injury and organically earn his teammates' trust. The results have been spectacular, with Dončić scoring 29+ points in four straight games and the Lakers climbing to third place in the Western Conference.
With LeBron now sidelined by a groin strain, Dončić faces his first true test as the Lakers' solo leader. But if the opinions of NBA legends are correct, Los Angeles remains in extremely capable hands.
Related: Lakers Star Must Step Up After LeBron's Injury
Related: Lakers Center Emerges as Major Contributor Post All-Star Break
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved
This story was originally published March 10, 2025 at 12:13 PM.