Luka Doncic had to suffer defeat at the hands of Canada in the FIBA World Cup. The loss ended Slovenia’s journey in the tournament and now El Matador has to wait for the upcoming NBA season. The Dallas Mavericks star has taken responsibility for the loss of his national team and was quite vocal about it.
There is no doubt that Doncic is one of the greatest talents playing in the NBA right now. Many supporters and fans also believe that he is already an MVP- talent. This is now further backed by an NBA analyst who predicted Doncic to become the first player to touch the $80 million mark.
NBA analyst foresees Doncic as first $80 million player
Luka Doncic is one of the most versatile offensive players in the league right now. The fans have full faith in him and believe that he can lead the Mavericks to a championship this season. Doncic’s IQ, scoring ability, playmaking abilities, and vision all are among the highest in the league and surely applaudable.
With the increasing pay cap in the NBA, it would be no surprise if Luka Magic ends up bagging a huge sum at the end of his current contract. Recently we saw Jaylen Brown sign the richest deal in NBA history, a five-year $304 million deal. Keeping this pay rise in mind NBA analyst Bobby Marks predicted Luka to become “the first” player to make $80 million annually. He stated with confidence, “Luka Doncic could be probably the first 80 million dollar guy.”
The number looks astronomical as of now but it will be no surprise if we see the star guard of the Mavericks sign it in the future. Given the numbers he puts up with his performance, Doncic could even sign a bigger deal when the time comes.
Mavs’ Luka Doncic acknowledges role in Slovenia’s defeat
Slovenia faced Canada on the 7th of September, 2023 which ended in a defeat for Luka Doncic’s side. This was a tough match despite one side severely lacking in NBA-level talents. The Slovenian side only has Luka as the NBA caliber player while Canada was full of stars. The Slovenian side put up a great fight which their star player also appreciated.
Luka Donic expressed himself after the defeat of Slovenia in a post-match officiating and told the press, “It starts with me and I have to be better for my team with all emotions. Like I said, playing for the country, you want to do your best and you want to die on there. It starts with me for sure.”
The head coach of the Slovenian team, Aleksander Sekulic defended Doncic after his statement. He supported Luka in his claims of biased refereeing in the match. Sekulic said to the reporter, “I don’t know if you could be in this situation and understand this, but it’s very difficult,” he further explained, “That’s why the emotions come up. I know it’s not great, it doesn’t look good, but it’s very, very difficult and that’s why it makes Luka so special because he’s a great player and it’s tough to guard him legally.”
What do you think of Bobby Marks’s remark about Luka Doncic? Will he become the first $80 million player or can he go even higher? Don’t forget to drop down in the comments and share your take.
