Thanks to a nagging calf injury sustained on Christmas Day, Luka Doncic will likely be unable to break LeBron James’ longstanding NBA record.
NBA fans have been grappling with the “GOAT Debate” ever since LeBron James won his third championship in 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As the all-time NBA scoring leader (as well as several other records), James has passed Michael Jordan as the best basketball player ever, at least in the eyes of a lot of fans.
With Jordan and James being the undisputed two best players ever, fans are left wondering who exactly will be the next player to cast their hat in the ring.
Luka Doncic has gotten off to an excellent start with the Dallas Mavericks, and until Victor Wembanyama reaches his prime, it’s safe to say that Doncic will be the league’s best player of the next generation.
In his seventh NBA season, Doncic got off to a strong start averaging 28.1 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 7.8 assists, although the possibility of breaking one of James’ records is slipping away.
Since his second year in the NBA, Doncic has been on a run never seen before. Starting in 2020, he ripped off five straight All-NBA First Team selections.
This year, he seemed to be well on his way to his sixth, but he suffered a calf injury on Christmas Day that has prevented him from coming back to the court.
Starting last year, the league instituted a rule that players have to suit up for at least 65 games in order to be eligible for season awards.
Doncic has been ruled out for the Mavericks’ game on Jan. 12 against the Denver Nuggets, which will prevent him from playing in the required number of games.
James and Karl Malone are both tied for an NBA record 11 First-Team nods in a row. James secured his 11th in 2018, his 15th year in the league.
Even if Doncic starts a streak next season, he will have to wait until he is 38 years old to break James’ record.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar became the oldest player to make the First Team in his age-38 season. Will Doncic have the same longevity?
Both Abdul-Jabbar and James won rings by the time they turned 27. Doncic will hit that age midway through next season, so it’s safe to say he’s a bit behind those two legends, likely keeping him out of “GOAT talks.”
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