It’s not that Luka Dončić doesn’t care about awards. “Obviously, it wouldn’t be bad to win MVP,” he said last week when asked about being the betting favorite for the honor heading into this season. Winning them just seems so inevitable — his Wikipedia page’s “highlights and awards” section already has 22 bullet points — that he feels no need to advocate for himself. He’s won them every year at every level. Why would that stop now?
“Not everyone can say they are MVP,” he said, “but you got to get there, you know? You can’t just have your name mentioned.”
Dončić, however, does pay attention to them. He knew he shouldn’t have been an All-Star starter last season, but he expressed mild frustration behind the scenes when he didn’t receive even one media vote. That year, one in which he was also considered the MVP front-runner, he spent several long months getting back into the high-level physique that makes him one of the universe’s best few players. He was well aware of the spotlight put upon that process, which made it even less enjoyable. The voters shutting him out was a reflection of that stretch, which may well have been the least fun he’s ever had on the basketball court.
And that’s saying something, because what’s most compelling about watching Dončić is his joy. It’s the youthful zeal that oozes from his game when he delights with an inventive pass or toys with a defender using fakes and footwork. It’s that he often seems as surprised as we are when he does the unthinkable. In a sport that can revolve around cold hubris, Dončić’s best moments remind us this is entertainment.
"do it" - Google News
October 19, 2022 at 04:08PM
https://ift.tt/NPJSnXV
Luka Dončić the MVP? Here’s how he can do it, and why the Mavericks need him to - The Athletic
"do it" - Google News
https://ift.tt/FGfw94v
https://ift.tt/1lYKpas
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Luka Dončić the MVP? Here’s how he can do it, and why the Mavericks need him to - The Athletic"
Post a Comment