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Retired Mavs Player Makes Interesting Comparison Between Luka Doncic And Larry Bird

Luka Doncic has been generating a ton of buzz ever since he stepped foot in the NBA. The Slovenian sensation is just coming off one of the best seasons for a 20-year old in league history and is now being lauded as one of the frontrunners for next year’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ award.

Because of Doncic’s career trajectory, several comparisons have been made between him and other all-time greats. For instance, Luka is drawing similarities to a top-10 player of all-time in Larry Bird. While that may not be the most accurate comparison, retired Mavericks player Derek Harper could attest that the comparison is valid.

During an interview on ‘The Mike Wise Show’, Harper, who played against Bird in the 80s and 90s, noted that off the many uncanny similarities, the very thing that stands out from the two players is their basketball IQ. 

“The first thing I’d say is IQ, “he stated. “Both of those guys have a lot of intelligence when it comes to the game.

“We’ve been looking for somebody to compare this guy to since he’s been in the league. This is his third year coming up. I wouldn’t be surprised if Luka is MVP. But there, Luka is Luka. He puts up cartoon numbers as a player.”

“I saw Luka in practice when he first got here about two or three times. And I said, “Screw this man. This kid is going to be All NBA, he’s going to be MVP a couple of times.’ He just gets it, man.”