Seventy-three points. That was Luka Dončić’s total when he led the Dallas Mavericks to a victory over the Atlanta Hawks last season. He wasn’t the only NBA player to have an explosion on offense that season – think Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns. And the league subsequently decided to change officiating to favor more physical play that would presumably cut down on high offensive output.
That’s how Tim MacMahon sees it. The veteran ESPN writer has covered Dončić since the Slovenian’s arrival in Dallas as one of the most heralded European talents in NBA history. He saw Dončić live up to his billing, leading the Mavericks to the Western Conference finals in 2022 and the NBA finals last year. And he knew that even a change in rules wouldn’t stop Dončić’s stepback three.
“I mean, there’s just not a lot of ways you can guard him,” MacMahon says. “If he’s not the best passer in the league, he’s top two or three … He sees the floor as well as maybe anybody who played the game.”
MacMahon is the author of a new book on Dončić – The Wonder Boy: Luka Dončić and the Curse of Greatness. It came out on Tuesday, and in case you were wondering, yes, there is a Texas-sized postscript to the story.
Related: The Mavs are on fire after the Dončić trade. Don’t expect them to put it out
In February, the Mavs traded their star – who, according to the book, they had previously invested countless time and effort trying to get to stay in Dallas. Dončić was off to the Los Angeles Lakers, while Anthony Davis went to the Mavs.
“Obviously, it was a major plot twist,” MacMahon says.
He and his publisher had to scramble. (Insert your comparisons to an NBA team adjusting on the fly to the fast break.) There were 8,000 copies of the book already at the printer. MacMahon did his part, adding a final chapter.
Even before the trade, MacMahon says, “a lot of Mavericks fans are upset that the book is being written. It was not blessed by Luka … Certain parts of the book are critical of him.”
However, the author says, “One promise I made to Luka via his representatives was that I would not delve into his personal life.”
What’s present, by and large, is a portrayal that’s respectful, candid – and lyrical in describing Dončić’s many achievements on the court over five-plus seasons.
Dončić came to the Mavs having first drawn their attention while playing as a teenager for the elite Spanish team Real Madrid. He joined a Dallas organization that was as full of unhealthy machinations as Game of Thrones, to use MacMahon’s comparison. Rivalries simmered in the Texas heat between the then-owner, then-GM and then-coach – Mark Cuban, Donnie Nelson and Rick Carlisle, respectively. When the dust settled, only Cuban was left standing in Dallas, with Jason Kidd taking over as coach and Nico Harrison as GM. Eventually, even Cuban’s power waned after selling the team to a group headlined by a Las Vegas casino owner, Patrick Dumont. (The former owner retained a minority ownership stake.) During Dončić’s years in Dallas, the Mavs tried multiple times to find a supporting player who could do the difficult, ego-less job of complementing their star. First it was Kristaps Porziņģis, then Jalen Brunson. After those partnerships failed (for various reasons, discussed in the book), the Mavs added Kyrie Irving, who helped Dallas reach the finals last year.
Through it all, Dončić lived up to his promise and then some. The book chronicles those breathtaking moments: an 11-0 individual run in one game against the Houston Rockets that put the league on notice; second-year praise, unprintable but memorable, from LeBron James, after a neat generational moment: James and Dončić became the oldest and youngest NBA players, respectively, to post a 30-10-15 triple-double. All while playing in the shadow of another legendary European star, Dirk Nowitzki.
MacMahon calls Dončić “the most talented player in franchise history,” and acknowledges the competition for this honor: “Dirk is the sixth-leading scorer all-time.”
The book chronicles how Dončić’s individual game point plateau increased over time: first 50-point nights, then 60, and ultimately 73. Then there’s all the triple-doubles. And don’t get MacMahon started on the intangibles.
“Luka is a master at creating space,” the author says. “He’s such a rare blend of power and finesse … He’s impossible to cover for one man. He’s double-teamed so much. If you put another guy [on him], he’ll make the right pass.”
Last season, MacMahon says, “he had more minutes than anybody in the league, combined regular season and playoffs, the highest usage rate in the league.” Don’t forget he played more than the NBA season – this loyal son of Slovenia played for his national team in the World Championships before coming to Mavs training camp. (For the book, MacMahon visited Dončić’s basketball-crazy homeland.) In the regular season, he had to compensate when Irving was absent due to a foot injury, while in the playoffs Dončić averaged 30-plus minutes per game despite a knee injury suffered in the first round.
“The minutes and miles that are on him, it’s pretty extraordinary,” MacMahon says. “Also, he’s going to see the best defender on the other team … He gets in the paint, takes a lot of shots, initiates a lot of shots, rebounds … It takes a physical toll on his body.”
It is a toll, some might say, that has been compounded by conditioning issues. The book addresses this claim, along with another knock – his frequent interactions with referees.
“He has two major flaws,” MacMahon says. “Conditioning concerns, and … the occasional lack of focus. He allows his emotions to get the best of him.” Or, as the author puts it, “there are times he’s more focused on the three guys with the whistles than the five guys on the floor trying to stop him.”
MacMahon cites diet and conditioning as among the reasons Mavs GM Harrison parted ways with Dončić. The author says he has discussed the trade with 50 executives and scouts.
“Many said you cannot trade a generational talent at 25 years old unless the guy puts a gun to your head and wants his way out,” MacMahon says. “Luka was about to buy his forever house in Dallas.”
Instead, it was off to Los Angeles, where he became teammates with his now 40-year-old admirer James. Dončić was also reunited with one of his favorite teammates on the Mavs, Dorian Finney-Smith. (Mavs coach JJ Redick was also an ex-teammate.) Old friend Nowitzki showed up to watch his first game.
Although Dončić’s star shone bright in the Lone Star State, maybe he’ll be better off in LA, playing on a team with a fellow brilliant star – James.
“I was just in LA to see him play,” MacMahon reports of Dončić. “He has the joy back, that smile, a bounce in his step. I don’t know if they’re going to be a championship team now. There’s a small chance.” But, he adds, “he’s got a pretty phenomenal chance to compete for championships long-term with the Lakers.”
As for the team that traded him?
“This is a really, really catastrophic experience for Mavericks fans,” MacMahon says. “The soul of this fanbase has been trampled on, to be blunt. There’s unbelievable, intense outrage.”
The author reflects on Dončić’s five and a half years in Dallas, from his interactions with then-coach Carlisle and then-teammate Porziņģis to Brunson leaving via free agency – and on how Dončić stayed through it all until management traded him.
“You go back through this,” MacMahon says. “It’s just amazing how much drama there was, how much dysfunction there was, how much, frankly, mismanagement there was – and how much success they had despite all of it. It goes back to the talent in this kid.”
