The Los Angeles Lakers are on a roll, going 11-3 since acquiring Slovenian superstar Luka Doncic for Anthony Davis on early February.
The team has done so with an impressive defensive display as well as some pretty amazing offense lead by Doncic and iconic baller LeBron James.
A beat down! Luka Doncic’s brutal basketball training as a 14-year-old prodigy
Yes, Luka has had some rough shooting nights – one of them against the Utah Jazz and another one versus the Charlotte Hornets -, but overall, the Lakers have to feel pretty good about themselves and the fact that they are currently No. 2 on the Western Conference standings.
Luka’s brutal training when he was a teenager
A native of Ljubljana, Slovenia, Luka began his basketball career as a youth player for Olimpija at age 8. He signed a five-year contract with Spain’s Real Madrid at age 13. Since he was a teenager, he got used to some brutal trainings that would shape his character and playing style.
A video of a 14-year-old Doncic resurfaced online and in the images, we can see a teenager shooting the basketball from multiple parts of the court while he gets pounded by his coach. We are able to witness Luka’s toughness and will to score despite the obstacles.
Before being taken with the third pick in the draft, Doncic led Spain’s Real Madrid to the 2018 EuroLeague title while becoming the youngest player ever to earn EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP honors. He also competed for the Slovenian national team and helped the squad to a gold-medal finish at EuroBasket 2017.
LeBron and the Lakers are thriving
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James was named NBA Western Conference Player of the Month for games played from Saturday, Feb. 1, through Friday, Feb. 28. He extends his league-record to 41 monthly awards, including three with the Purple and Gold.
James, who turned 40-years-old in December, becomes the oldest player to ever win a Player of the Month award, passing the previous record set by Karl Malone (age 37) with the Utah Jazz in November of 2000. In 11 February games, James averaged 29.3 points, 10.5 rebounds, 6.9 assists and 1.2 steals in 35.2 minutes as he guided the Lakers to a 9-2 record.
He tallied 11 double-digit scoring performances, including six games with 20+ points, two contests with 30+ points and two 40+ point outings. James grabbed 10+ rebounds in five of those games and finished the month with six double-doubles, including one triple-double.
