Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic defies the logic of how the game of basketball ought to be played, and he reminded us yet again.
The 23-year-old guard is representing Slovenia in the 2022 EuroBasket tournament. During a game against France on Wednesday, Doncic was defended by three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert, recently traded to the Timberwolves.
Doncic is several inches shorter than Gobert, a 7-foot-1 big man. That’s one of several reasons why the shot that he took against the Timberwolves center was particularly shocking.
But the more you watch it, the more unbelievable this field goal attempt becomes. Below, you can take a look for yourself:
TAKE A BOW. LUKA HAS 27 IN THE FIRST HALF!#EuroBasket x #BringTheNoise pic.twitter.com/yJFW7Pglk1
— #EuroBasket 2022 (@EuroBasket) September 7, 2022
I’ll let you process what you just watched because it may take some time.
Doncic, who scored 22 points in the first 14 minutes of the game against France, finished the first half with 27 points on 8-for-12 from the field and 5-for-8 from beyond the arc.
None were more impressive than the one-handed, running fadeaway jumper that he hit as the shot clock expired. It’s almost too much to comprehend.
Throwback to this clutch floater from 3 from Luka Doncic in the ACB Finals back in 2018
This was Luka's last game with Real Madrid before getting drafted pic.twitter.com/eKZtSph7Du
— Zach Milner (@ZachMilner13) April 15, 2021
But one aspect that makes it easier: Doncic has made a similar shot before. During his final game for Real Madrid before declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft, he made a comparably unfathomable field goal.
This shot, however, was definitely special. The farthest distance he made a floating jump shot from in 2021-22, per the data available on NBA.com, was 20 feet.
According to Synergy, only three players (Trae Young, Ja Morant, and LaMelo Ball) made more overall runners than Doncic did this past season.
