Luka GOAT Status? Mavs Star Joins LeBron Trajectory

There are two ways to tell if an NBA player is going to be an all-time great: the stats and the eye test.

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic has been outstanding in both of those categories through the first six seasons of his NBA career. Despite not having won a championship or an MVP award yet, Doncic would still likely be a first ballot Hall of Fame player if he decided to retire today.

Beyond the Hall of Fame, though, one has to wonder just how close Doncic will be to joining the GOAT (greatest of all time) conversation if he keeps up his current pace. LeBron James and Michael Jordan are the two players widely discussed as the best to ever touch a basketball. While Jordan has six rings and never lost an NBA Finals, James still has four rings and has blown Jordan out of the water when it comes to longevity.

James has been in the league for so long and accomplished so much that more people are starting to inch him past Jordan. So, six seasons in, how does Doncic stack up to what James did in that same window?

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James’ First Six NBA Seasons: averages of 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, five-time All-Star, three-time All-NBA First Team, two-time All-NBA Second Team, league MVP

Doncic’s First Six NBA Seasons : averages of 29 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, five-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA First Team, Western Conference Finals MVP

To truly enter the GOAT conversation, Doncic will have to start adding championships to his resume over the next decade. After falling short in the NBA Finals last season, Doncic will have his best chance to win that first title this coming season after the Mavs bolstered their roster this offseason.

The 25-year-old star still has a long way to go, but he’s certainly on the right trajectory. Health permitting, don’t be surprised if Doncic is viewed as one of the best to ever pick up a basketball by the time his career is over.