Luka Doncic

Who among us wouldn't want to be compared to Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic.

Oklahoma State star Cade Cunningham told reporters he believes he and Doncic share some characteristics: "I hear a lot of the Luka comparisons and I can see it."

This isn't the first time Cunningham has been put into the same conversation as the two-time All-Star.

In February, ESPN's Mike Schmitz wrote that "there are pre-draft parallels between the two." In particular, he said the two aren't necessarily explosive off the ball but still demonstrated an ability to read the floor and create scoring opportunities for teammates.

Schmitz also wrote that Cunningham was "watching a ton of Doncic film." The 6'8" guard praised the Slovenian star.

"Speed, athleticism is definitely a great quality to have, but Luka just knows how to play the game," he said. "He knows how to get you leaning one way, give you a move and get to his spots. Somebody that's tougher to guard than someone that's super athletic."

Cunningham is widely expected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA draft, which would land him with the Detroit Pistons. Detroit, which lacks a true franchise cornerstone, would be thrilled if he emerged as a Doncic-like talent to lead the way for the future.

ESPN's Stephen A. Smith said Friday sources close to the Dallas Mavericks suggest forward Kristaps Porzingis is "jealous" of teammate Luka Doncic.

"Porzingis probably needs to go," Smith said on First Take. "They probably need to utilize him to get a bona fide secondary option because he seems to be somebody that's jealous of Luka Doncic and resentful of the cache he has compared to Porzingis, and that's partly what's going on."

Porzingis previously downplayed any perceived issues with Doncic after Mavs owner Mark Cuban suggested the star duo had some "dustups."

"I've never had any problems with my teammates off the court. I've always gotten along very well with them," Porzingis told Spanish outlet Marca (via CBS Sports' Sam Quinn). "I don't know what Cuban was talking about. I try to be as professional as possible, do what I have to do and be a soldier for the team."

Porzingis' acquisition from the New York Knicks in January 2019 combined with Doncic's rapid emergence as a perennial MVP candidate was expected to transform the Mavericks into a title contender.

While Dallas has qualified for the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, a sign of progress after three straight postseason-less years, that rise toward championship contention hasn't happened, as the team was eliminated in the first round in both 2020 and 2021.

Doncic also pushed aside any suggestion of problems with his Latvian running mate after the Mavs were eliminated by the Los Angeles Clippers in June.

"It's great. He's a great player," Doncic told reporters. "I don't know what we're going to do next year with the whole roster. I think we have a couple free agents. In the NBA, every year, you have new teammates, so I don't know what's going to happen, but he's a great player. I think we've gotta use him more, and that's it."

Dallas started the offseason with a coaching change. Rick Carlisle, who had led the staff since 2008, stepped down and was replaced by former All-Star point guard Jason Kidd.

Now the question is whether the Mavericks will significantly overhaul the roster during the summer or rely on smaller moves around the Doncic-Porzingis tandem. Kidd explained during his introductory press conference Thursday he's confident in Porzingis as a member of the core.

"I think he's excited. He's ready to work, and I think you're going to see a different KP," Kidd said. "This is a positive summer for him. He's healthy. I think he's really excited about this opportunity. I think he's a perfect fit for Luka. He has a skill set that a lot of people don't have in this league. As a coach, I'm very excited to be able to work with him."

Those comments make it seem unlikely the 7'3'' power forward is dealt as part of a blockbuster, but keeping Doncic happy is the franchise's biggest task, so any behind-the-scenes drama between the pair could be the X-factor in the roster-building discussions.

LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant lead the list of the NBA's top-selling jerseys for the second half of the 2020-21 season.

NBA reporter Marc Stein revealed the top 15 list Wednesday:

None of the names on the list are particularly surprising. James is one of the most famous athletes in the world and one of the greatest players in NBA history, playing for its most marquee franchise. That's a jersey-selling bonanza in and of itself.

Giannis was the reigning two-time MVP coming into this season and re-upped with a long-term contract extension with the Bucks. Durant is a top-20 player in league history who is playing for a new team after being out for the entire 2019-20 season.

The remainder of the top 15 is filled with perennial All-Stars or budding young superstars. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise is the absence of Zion Williamson, who has been seemingly eclipsed in popularity by Ja Morant, the No. 2 pick of the 2019 NBA draft. 

For the second straight season, Luka Doncic is set to be the preseason favorite for NBA MVP.

DraftKings Sportsbook released its odds for the 2021-22 season Wednesday, with Doncic coming in as a +400 favorite (bet $100 to win $400). Joel Embiid is second in the odds at +700, while Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo are all tied at +800.

Reigning NBA MVP Nikola Jokic is surprisingly listed at +1500 to repeat. 

The Doncic MVP hype train is understandable, given he finished fourth in 2019-20 and sixth in 2020-21. All it would take is the Mavericks taking the next step as a team in order for Doncic to get himself in the conversation for the individual accolade.

Doncic's numbers are already there. He averaged 27.7 points. 8.0 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game this season, all while showing improvement as a three-point shooter and acting as the Mavericks' offensive fulcrum. Doncic also is not the same injury concern as Embiid, who has missed significant time every year of his NBA career.

None of the lower-odds selections appear to be great bets at this point. Trae Young (+1800) has some momentum after the Hawks' run to the Eastern Conference Finals, but his night-to-night inconsistency could hurt him over the course of a full 82-game season. Devin Booker, James Harden and Anthony Davis all have superstar teammates who get more public shine.

Jokic as a repeat winner may actually be the smartest bet on the board. There's little reason to think his numbers will dip any from this season, and he'll have to shoulder more of an individual load with Jamal Murray likely missing much of the 2021-22 campaign. If Jokic keeps Denver in the top half of Western Conference playoff teams, 15-1 will seem like a bargain. 

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Dallas Mavericks superstar guard Luka Doncic will grace the cover of the NBA 2K22 standard edition and cross-gen bundle, 2K Sports announced Wednesday. 

It was also announced that an NBA 75th Anniversary Edition of the video game will feature Los Angeles Lakers legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mavs legend Dirk Nowitzki and Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant on the cover.

A third edition of the game—the WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition—will be available only in the United States and Canada, and it will have Chicago Sky forward and two-time WNBA MVP Candace Parker on the cover.

Regarding his inclusion as the standard edition cover athlete, Doncic said: "Making the global cover of NBA 2K22 is special for me. I'm proud to represent my country in a special cover that honors the colors of the Slovenian flag. Basketball has given me so much, and I'm excited to give back and work together with 2K Foundations this year to help the lives of young kids around the globe."

Just three years into his NBA career, Doncic is already considered one of the best players in the world. The 22-year-old native of Slovenia is a two-time All-Star, and he has been named to the All-NBA first team in each of the past two seasons.

The NBA 75th Anniversary Edition of NBA 2K22 will celebrate the careers of Abdul-Jabbar, Nowitzki and Durant and how they changed the game, and it will also feature pastel artwork from artist Charly Palmer, who is known for his recent "America Must Change" series of Civil Rights-related paintings.

Parker commented on being chosen for the cover of the WNBA 25th Anniversary Special Edition of the game, saying:

"The cover of NBA 2K is such a pivotal platform to inspire young ballers, and I wanted future WNBA stars to know that they can be cover athletes too. Representation matters, so this is a special moment of progress for the sport and the series. To be part of this historic cover is a testament to the growth and rising popularity of the women's game, and I'm proud to be the first female cover athlete to be the face of NBA 2K."

In addition to her two WNBA MVP awards, Parker is a six-time All-Star, one-time WNBA champion, one-time WNBA Finals MVP and two-time Olympic gold medalist.

All versions of NBA 2K22 will be released worldwide for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch and PC on Sept. 10 with preorders opening Wednesday.

Luka Doncic helped Slovenia earn a spot in the Summer Olympics in men's basketball after producing a triple-double in Sunday's qualifying win over Lithuania.

Slovenia secured the 96-85 win in the finals of the six-team qualifying tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania, giving the country its first trip to the Olympics in the sport. Doncic starred with 31 points, 13 assists and 11 rebounds in the clinching game.

Lithuania featured NBA players like Domantas Sabonis and Jonas Valanciunas, but the perennial international contender fell short of a trip to Tokyo.

The European squad had competed at the last seven Olympic Games, earning three bronze medals in that stretch.

Sunday's game was a close one early with the two teams tied 52-52 at halftime. Lithuania used a balanced attack offensively as five players reached double figures over the 40-minute battle, although Sabonis was held to just nine in the loss.

The difference came in a third quarter that saw Slovenia outscore its opponent 28-17. Doncic was nearly unstoppable offensively, shooting 13-of-23 from the field while his team finished 13-of-31 (42 percent) from three-point range.

With the Olympic bid, Slovenia builds on its 2017 EuroBasket title as the country becomes a legitimate power behind Doncic.

The Dallas Mavericks guard has already proved himself in the NBA with two All-Star selections and a Rookie of the Year award in his first three seasons. He continues to elevate his game as he looks to lead his home country to greater heights.

Luka Doncic wants it all in his basketball career, but he said Saturday that winning an Olympic gold medal with Slovenia would mean more to him than winning an NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks.

While Doncic had to choose between the two within the framework of the question he was asked, he added that he "wouldn't mind both."

After he and the Mavericks fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games in the first round of the 2020-21 NBA playoffs, Doncic joined the Slovenian national team in an effort to get his home country into the 2021 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

On the heels of Doncic and Slovenia beating Venezuela 98-70 in a qualifier Saturday, Slovenia is just one win away from making the Olympic field.

Since becoming an independent nation in 1991, Slovenia has never qualified for the Olympic Games. The country has made strides as a basketball power in recent years, however.

With Doncic leading the way, Slovenia went 9-0 at EuroBasket 2017 and won the tournament, marking its only gold medal in a major men's senior event.

The 22-year-old Doncic is one of the best young basketball players in the world with two All-Star nods to his credit in three NBA seasons.

Doncic, who was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 2019, is coming off a highly productive 2020-21 campaign in which he averaged 27.7 points, 8.6 assists, 8.0 rebounds and 2.9 three-pointers made per game.

The Mavs have reached the playoffs in each of the past two seasons, losing to the Clippers in the first round each time.

With Doncic continuing to make strides and Jason Kidd taking over as the Mavericks' new head coach, there is plenty of hope for Dallas to take the next step in 2021-22 and beyond.

If Slovenia makes the Olympics, it will have an uphill climb to winning a gold medal, as the United States will be heavy favorites to win a fourth Olympic gold in a row.

With Kevin Durant, Damian Lillard, Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Jayson Tatum headlining a star-studded roster, something unforeseen will have to happen in order for Team USA to fall short.

The door is wide open for a team like Slovenia to emerge as the biggest threat to the United States, though, especially with star players like Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons deciding against playing for Serbia and Australia, respectively.

Slovenia doesn't have the depth of talent that the United States does, but with a player like Doncic running the show, it is possible the Slovenians could give the Americans a run for their money.