Lakers Legend Ranks Luka Doncic Above Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as ‘Most Consistent and Dominant’ Player

James Worthy ranked Luka Doncic above some of the greatest players in NBA history.

Lakers Legend Ranks Luka Doncic Above Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as ‘Most Consistent and Dominant’ Player

James Worthy on Luka Doncic (Image credits - Firstsportz)

In Short
  • Luka Doncic scored 60 points in a game against the Miami Heat, marking his first 60-point game as a Laker.
  • James Worthy praised Doncic as the most consistent and dominant player, ranking him above Lakers legends Kobe Bryant and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
  • Doncic is currently leading the league in scoring, averaging 33.4 points per game with 12 games remaining in the season.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been unstoppable over the last two weeks, and it is all thanks to Luka Doncic. Doncic wowed the NBA world with another masterclass as the Lakers registered an impressive 134-126 victory over the Miami Heat at the Kaseya Center on Thursday night.

Former Lakers star and champion James Worthy was in awe of Doncic’s performance and put him in elite company.

Historically, the Lakers have had clutch players. Kareem with the sky hook, Magic with his play, Kobe, [Shaquille O’Neal], [Derek Fisher] hitting 0.4. But I don’t think we’ve ever seen one as consistent and as dominant as Luka Doncic. The way he controls the game with the ball in his hand. And a shot maker. He’s a shot maker, [Chris McGee], from anywhere. And he’s really good at drawing fouls, too.

Some huge words of praise from James Worthy. The former Finals MVP has played alongside Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson in the Showtime era. And to still rank Luka Doncic above them is more than just praiseworthy.

It is about time to include Luka Doncic in the MVP conversation once again. On Thursday, Doncic registered his first 60-point game since joining the Lakers at the trade deadline last year. It was also the first time a Lakers player scored 60 points in a game since Kobe Bryant in his farewell game in 2016.

The Slovenian has been at the center of criticism over the last few weeks over his nagging of officials. Many believed he was well and out of the MVP race as well, but it seems he is back in the race with 13 games to go. Doncic ended his night against the Heat with 60 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and five steals.

Fans on James Worthy placing Luka Doncic over Lakers’ legends as a clutch performer

There is no doubt that Luka Doncic is a special player. Drafted into the NBA in the 2018 NBA draft, Doncic has established himself as one of the best players in the league. While there have been some criticisms regarding his defense, his offensive skillset is second to none.

Following Worthy’s comments, fans took to social media to react to them:

Most of the fans did not agree with Worthy’s statements. For Lakers fans, Kobe Bryant will always be ranked above Doncic, especially in terms of being clutch.

Luka Doncic on Miami Heat crowd chanting MVP for him

What makes Doncic’s performance against the Heat even more remarkable is that it came just 24 hours after his dominant 40-point performance against the Houston Rockets. In the span of 24 hours, Doncic has scored 100 points.

Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic (Image credits – Los Angeles Lakers/X)

In his post-match press conference, Doncic addressed what it was like to hear the opposing crowd chanting MVP for him like that.

I was very impressed. Especially an away game in Miami, and you hear the whole crowd chanting MVP, that’s what any player wants to hear. I got a little bit of goosebumps, so it was pretty special.

Luka Doncic on the MVP chants

With 12 games to go, Luka Doncic leads the league in scoring and is currently averaging 33.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 8.4 assists. During the Lakers’ eight-match winning streak, Doncic has been averaging 40.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 7.4 assists.

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