Luka Doncic on being in the same team with LeBron: 'It's a really special moment when he picks me' / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: Lampson Yip - Clicks Images/Getty Images Credit Lampson Yip - Clicks Images/Getty Images

There are times when Luka Doncic looks like the king of the basketball world. The Slovenian phenomenon has been dazzling the NBA ever since he came into the league. Now he's a three-time All-Star, ready to show his best self to a worldwide audience during the weekend.

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"I'm just enjoying playing basketball," Doncic said to The Dallas Morning News in an exclusive one-on-one interview ahead of the All-Star weekend. "That's the most important thing."

Doncic won't be a starter in Sunday's match after he missed a career-high 15 games in the first several months of the season and finished outside the top two in fan, player, and media voting for Western Conference backcourt starters.

However, ever since the results for All-Star starters became clear on January 20th, Doncic has averaged 33.3 points, 10.2 rebounds, 9.6 assists, and 42.7% 3-point shooting in the 13 games that followed.

During that stretch, he logged seven consecutive games with double-digit assists, a career-best mark, and one shy of now-coach Jason Kidd's franchise record.

"He's one of the best players to ever play this game," Doncic said about getting picked by LeBron James to his All-Star team. "As a kid, I looked up to him, so it's really a special moment when he picks me. I'm really glad that he picked me."

Is his team going to win in the All-Star game? Luka was confident: "I think that team is going to win again, hopefully, so I'll be 3-0 after this."

Doncic has been widely criticised for having put on too much weight after the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games where he led the Slovenia national team to a 4th place finish.

"I relaxed a little bit too much," Doncic said.

However, Luka has been back on track in recent months. With new habits comes a new and improved game.

"Chicken and rice and vegetables is the most popular [with me] because I don't eat a lot of seafood," Doncic shared his new habits. "Mostly just eating healthier. ... That was the key to be here."

After the All-Star break is over, Luka may reunite with one of his countrymen, Goran Dragic. When some talks were raised during the offseason about the possibility of bringing Dragic to the Dallas Mavericks as a backup point guard, the Slovenian superstar was all for it.

He still is now. He's known Dragic since he was 5 years old when Dragic and Luka's father Sasa played on the same KD Slovan team. "My father was his mentor," Doncic said.

Dragic arrived to San Antonio Spurs via trade earlier this month, but the team has agreed to a contract buyout with the player, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

"He's my guy," Doncic continued. "Everybody would want their guys on their team, so we'll see."

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