It’s always controversial to compare any player to the greatest player of all time, but Jason Kidd isn’t holding back when it comes to Luka Doncic. Following a recent three-game scoring spree in which he averaged 48.7 points, 13.0 assists, and 9.7 rebounds, including a 73-point explosion against the Atlanta Hawks that surpassed Jordan’s career high of 69 points, Kidd boldly declared that Doncic is on par with Michael Jordan.
Is Luka Doncic same level as Michael Jordan ?
In an interview with 97.1 The Freak’s “The Downbeat,” the Mavericks coach praised Luka’s recent play, claiming that he is comparable to Jordan and superior to Dallas legend Dirk Nowitzki. Jason Kidd shared,
“I’ve said this before, and I’ll say this for as long as I’m here, you can’t take this young man for granted,” “He’s better than Dirk, he’s in the atmosphere of MJ, the best to ever do it.”
With a career-high 34.7 points, 9.6 assists, and 7.8 rebounds per game, the 24-year-old is having the best season of his brief six-year NBA career. He is helping the Mavericks finish eighth in the Western Conference with a 26-22 record.
Luka Doncic since coming back from an ankle injury 🔥
45 PTS – 9 REBS – 15 ASTS
28 PTS – 10 REBS – 17 ASTS
73 PTS – 10 REBS – 7 ASTS
34 PTS – 8 REBS – 9 ASTS
33 PTS – 18 REBS – 13 ASTS
33 PTS – 13 REBS – 10 ASTSAVG: 41.0 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 11.8 APG pic.twitter.com/pu77sjlTPF
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 31, 2024
Challenging for NBA titles
While Luka’s record may not seem as impressive as Michael Jordan’s at the moment—he was the Rookie of the Year, an All-Star four times, and an All-NBA Team member four times—his potential and ceiling are unquestionable. Luka is obviously a once-in-a-generation talent. He is comparable to some of the best players to have ever set foot on an NBA court because of his stature, skill, and basketball IQ. Kidd said,
“LeBron [James], Kobe, and so just to appreciate what this young man is doing at the age of 24 is something that Dallas has never seen. And I’ve said this internally, he is better than Dirk. He does things that Dirk could never do. And now is the opportunity of getting the right people around him to ultimately win a championship,”
"But the fans didn't want what we saw last night in Atlanta… That was a disgrace… Did you see how they played defense last night?"
Stephen A. Smith on Luka Doncic's 73-point game against the Hawks defense 🗣️
(via @ESPNNBA)pic.twitter.com/hdWntKycm8
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) January 27, 2024
