Luka Doncic slept like a baby before the then biggest game of his life
Luka Doncic
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Real Madrid faced Fenerbahce Istanbul in the Euroleague Finals in 2018, the biggest game of then 19-year-old Luka Doncic. Hours before the tip-off, he was sleeping like a baby as if he was going to play hoops with his buddies later that day.
“The kid was special. I’m telling you.”
If fans watching him dominate the NBA think Luka Doncic is special, his roommate and former teammate in Real Madrid, Fabien Causeur, already saw his potential when he was still a teenager. And he witnessed how Doncic was able to eat pressure for breakfast even at his young age. Facing the biggest test of his young career, Luka was going about it as if it was any other day.
“Before the Final, I couldn’t sleep. It was 2:00 at night, and I couldn’t sleep. But Luka was sleeping all the time. He was snoring on the side like there was no pressure at all. For him, it was just another game. The kid was special, I’m telling you.”
Fabien Causeur, BasketNews
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Doncic put up 15 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds in that game. He was also named Euroleague season and Final Four MVP, the youngest to ever do so. The Slovenian wunderkind wasn’t even 20 years old, he was playing against grown men, and was the coolest act on the court.
Doncic playing beyond his years
In only four years, Luka dominated the NBA, but fans from other parts of the world weren’t that surprised. His former teammates knew he was destined to become a great player; they didn’t expect how soon it would become a reality.
Now that the Dallas Mavericks star is playing in his first Western Conference Finals against Steph Cury and the Golden State Warriors, is there any pressure on him? In a win-or-go-home scenario against the Phoenix Suns, Doncic was seen smiling after every made basket in an almost mocking way.
It won’t be as easy against the Warriors, but as long as Doncic enjoys playing the game, he will continue to feed in these pressure-packed games. He already ate pressure for breakfast during his teenage years. Luka’s next goal: close the chapter on the Warriors’ last attempt at building a dynasty.
