RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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There is no question that Luka Doncic is on the short list of the best basketball players in the world right now. With LeBron James joining the Philadelphia 76ers, Doncic is now the Los Angeles Lakers ' unquestioned franchise player, and he will now be leading them into a new and uncertain era.
Many have compared him as a player and his style of play to that of Lakers great Magic Johnson. But Johnson's former teammate Michael Cooper said during an interview with the Sports Illustrated network that he feels the Slovenian is more like Johnson's chief rival from the 1980s -- Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird.
“I think a Larry Bird type of player,” Cooper said when asked which former player Doncic reminds him of. “Not going to jump real high, not going to be real fast, but knows how to play the game and knows how to score. And I think those are probably a good similarity. I think Larry, well, they're both pretty good rebounders, and they both make others around. Yeah, I would say Larry Bird.”
Bird is likely a player comparison that fits Doncic better than Johnson. Like Bird was, Doncic is relatively unathletic and plays at a slower pace than many other stars and superstars. But his basketball IQ is very high, and his passing ability is off the charts. He's also a fantastic scorer who is one of the better tough-shot makers anyone can ever remember seeing, just as Bird was.
Doncic is also deadly in crunch time, which was something Bird was known for, and while he's mild-mannered off the court, he seems to turn into someone else on the court and loves to talk trash. The Celtics legend was legendary for his tendency to talk trash to opponents back in the day.
The 27-year-old averaged 33.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 1.6 steals a game last season while winning his second scoring title and putting himself on the periphery of the MVP discussion. He has likely just started the prime of his career, which is a scary prospect for the rest of the NBA, especially if he really is something approaching the second coming of Bird.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Michael Cooper calls Luka Doncic 'a Larry Bird type of player'
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