Today is February 28, and that means it’s NBA All-Star Luka Dončić’s birthday!
The 23-year-old gets to celebrate his birthday the way he wants, as the Mavericks have an off-day in Los Angeles today before they face Lebron James and the Lakers tomorrow (March 1). Let us know how you’re feeling, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
The Slovenian basketball star turned 23 today, and to celebrate, let’s take a look at 23 of his most iconic highlights. From being names the EuroLeague’s MVP and getting drafted to the Atlanta Hawks, then traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 to his first triple double to making his Allstar debut and signing a mega extension, our list covers all of the basketball prodigy’s biggest moments.
Keep scrolling to see them below and don’t forget to wish Luka a happy birthday by sending him a tweet here or by sliding into his Instagram DMs here.
1) Real Madrid
Dončić is an NBA star, but prior to his career with the organization, he made a name for himself over the pond in Spain, in their Real Madrid basketball league. He made his debut for the Liga ACB in 2015, becoming the youngest player to ever play for the league at only age 16. In a preseason game against the Boston Celtics, he racked up four rebounds, one assist, and one block. Not too shabby.
2) EuroLeague MVP
During the 2017-18 season with Real Madrid, Dončić rose as the team’s star player after Sergio Llull tore his ACL during EuroBasket 2017. That season, he won the EuroLeague MVP award, becoming the youngest player to ever do so at age 19.
The 2017-18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague MVP!
What a season from @luka7doncic pic.twitter.com/QWNgutxJne
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 19, 2018
3) Across the Pond
Back in the States, Dončić’s antics in Europe did not go unnoticed, and he was drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2018 NBA Draft. Shortly after, he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for Trae Young, and before the 2018-19 season, ESPN predicted he would win the Rookie of the Year Award.
4) NBA Debut
Dončić made his NBA debut on October 17, 2018, in a game against the Phoenix Suns. Despite the Mavs losing that game, he recorded ten points, eight rebounds and four assists. Not bad for a rookie making his debut.
Debut de Luka Doncic (10 PTS, 8 REB, 4 AST) #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/L2JRjyzREt
— Arancha Rodríguez (@AranchaMOBILE) October 18, 2018
5) Rookie of the Month
Dončić was named NBA Rookie of the Month in the Western Conference for November 2018. The Mavs, notably, play in the Western Conference.
6) Three-Pointers Galore
On December 28, 2018, Dončić became the youngest NBA player to ever successfully make seven three-pointers in one game.
7) Triple-Doubles
On January 27, 2019, Dončić became the youngest player and first teenager in the NBA to score multiple triple-doubles, including a 30-point triple-double.
https://twitter.com/NBAHistory/status/1191822495516512256
8) Passing the Magic
On February 6, 2019, in a game against the Charlotte Hornets, Dončić became the youngest player to achieve three triple-doubles, beating Hall of Famer Magic Johnson by a staggering 117 days.
9) Second Rookie of the Month
Dončić was again named the NBA Rookie of the Month in the Western Conference, this time for January 2019.
10) All-Rookie First Team
In May 2019, Dončić was unanimously selected to the All-Rookie First Team, an honor that recognizes the most elite NBA rookies.
https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/1498312044784885763?cxt=HHwWhoC9gbm3icspAAAA
11) Rookie of the Year
As ESPN predicted, Dončić unanimously won the NBA Rookie of the Year award in June 2019. This made him the second European-born player to ever achieve the award, after Pau Gasol. He also became the sixth-ever non-American player to win the prestigious award.
12) Career High
On November 8, 2019, in his second NBA season, Dončić scored a career-high 38 points, along with his 12th triple-double. Despite this, the Mavs dropped this game to the Knicks, 106-102.
13) Ten Days Later
On November 18, 2019, Dončić broke his own record, scoring a new career-high 42 points. This time, the Mavs held on to beat the San Antonio Spurs, 117-110.
14) Player of the Month
On December 3, 2019, Dončić won his first-ever NBA Player of the Month award, different from the NBA Rookie of the Month awards he won previously. He won it for both October and November 2019.
https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1367950548230635536
15) Finally an All-Star
In January 2020, Dončić was selected to participate in his first-ever NBA All-Star Game, playing for the Western Conference. With this, he became the youngest European player to participate in the event.
16) All-Seeding Games
The COVID-shortened 2020 NBA season was no hiccup for Dončić. On August 15, during the “Bubble”, he was selected to play for the NBA’s All-Seeding Games First Team. Over the eight games, Dončić averaged 30 points, ten rebounds, and almost ten assists per game.
17) Playoff Debut
On August 17, 2020, Dončić made his NBA Postseason debut against the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 1, he scored 42 points, the most ever for a playoff debut. The Mavs would go on to lose the game by a score of 118-110, but just six days later, Dončić would score the game-winning shot, a three-pointer in overtime, securing a 135-133 win for the Mavs.
https://twitter.com/ALLICONICSPORTS/status/1319101808657260544
18) The Big 46
On February 12, 2021, Luka Dončić broke his own personal record of 42 points in a game, scoring 46 to beat the New Orleans Pelicans, 143-130.
19) The Big 5,000
On May 7, 2021, Dončić recorded his 5,000th career point, becoming the fourth-youngest player in the NBA to achieve that feat.
20) Return to the Playoffs
Dončić found himself back in the playoffs with the Mavs, once again facing the Los Angeles Clippers. Despite gaining a 2-0 lead, the Mavs would fall short to the Clippers, being eliminated in seven games. In Dončić’s first career Game 7, he broke his previous playoff points record, scoring 46 points and tying his career-high. He also had 14 assists in the affair.
https://twitter.com/NBA2K/status/1415309024463970304
21) 2K22 Star
On July 14, 2021, Dončić was announced as the cover athlete of the basketball video game NBA 2K22, the twenty-third installment of the famed franchise. The game was released on September 9, 2021, for all major platforms.
22) Big Money
On August 10, 2021, Dončić signed the largest rookie contract in league history, penning a five-year, $207 million deal. Not bad for a then-22-year-old.
23) Final Before 23
Just last night, the night before his 23rd birthday, Dončić went off in a game against the Golden State Warriors, in which the Mavericks were down 21 points in the third quarter. He scored 34 points with fifteen rebounds and eight assists to lead the Mavs to victory against an elite Warriors team.
https://twitter.com/dallasmavs/status/1498135964870402057
