Tim MacMahon’s latest book, The Wonder Boy: Luka Dončić and the Curse of Greatness, has been in the works for over a year. The former Dallas Maverick superstar’s journey has taken many notable steps since his young rise to stardom as a 13-year-old phenom who signed a basketball contract with Real Madrid and the ESPN reporter looked to chronicle his journey and trials and tribulations throughout his basketball career to date.
Then, in the late hours of February 1 — as MacMahon described it in an interview with 105.3 The Fan — “there was a little plot twist at the end that caused some stress.”
For a guy that spent years detailing Dončić’s journey in extreme and, at times controversial, detail, MacMahon’s characterization of the most shocking trade in NBA history as a minor plot twist attempts to offer some humor in a situation where fans are left searching for answers after Dallas did the unthinkable.
Unfortunately for those fans, there are no answers in this book: just a well-told, well-researched retelling of the Dončić era in Dallas, and a look into how he surged onto scout’s draft boards as a young phenom in Europe.
From details about his home life in Slovenia to reporting on his surge at Real Madrid to analysis of Dončić’s first NBA Finals, this book is the place for Dončić fans to go if they want to learn about their favorite player. MacMahon, never one to hold his punches, takes no exception in this novel and reports on the good, the bad, and the ugly from the inside of the Mavericks organization from the summer of 2018 to the fall of 2024.
MacMahon lays out a picture of Dončić that fans may not know: an extremely talented player who often pushed boundaries but excelled in spite of it. The book tells about how Dončić came into most seasons overweight, often raising concerned looks and hushed whispers in the front office about his conditioning, but his on-court production and legendary accolades kept those concerns in the background.
Perhaps more than anything, the book serves as a good reminder as to just how hectic an NBA career can be. Dončić went from sharing a backcourt with Dennis Smith Jr his rookie year to co-starring with Kristaps Porzingis to being beyond pissed that his team chose to tank the final two games in the 2022-2023 season to being three games away from an NBA championship — all before he turned 26.
Throw in five All-NBA First Team selections, five All Star appearances, a Western Conference Finals MVP, the fourth-highest scoring game in NBA history, and the only 60-20-10 game in league history, and this book offers fans a great insight into all of these performances and much more.
It’s 18 chapters of Mavericks history. Dallas fans may not want to read it right now for good reason, but if the dust ever settles for fans heartbroken by the front office’s betrayal, MacMahon’s portrayal of the Dončić days may just bring a smile to their faces.