Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic is putting forward a strong case for MVP honors this season. The Slovenian point guard, averaging almost close to 35 points in 37 games, has been instrumental for the Purple & Gold’s strong start, and has also taken things up a notch recently amid his team’s eight-game road trip. So much so that his 46-point performance against the Chicago Bulls last prompted the announcer to make a bold statement.

Although the 26-year-old had many ‘wow’ moments throughout his team’s emphatic Monday night win in the Windy City, it was his no-look pass in the third quarter to Jared Vanderbilt that left everyone in awe of his insane passing skills. Even former Bulls forward Stacey King, who was announcing the game on the Bulls’ local TV broadcast, couldn’t help but praise Luka Doncic.

“Everybody’s talking about the next Michael Jordan. That’s Larry Bird right there. For all the kids that never saw Bird play, the passes this kid makes, those are Larry Bird, Pistol Pete type of passes,” King said.

King did not hold back at all, comparing the Lake Show guard to NBA legend Larry Bird rather than Michael Jordan. Of course, that’s not the comparison the Los Angeles crowd would fall head over heels for, but it was the more logical one. After all, Bird and Luka Doncic have more in common than MJ and Doncic.

Like Larry Bird, the Slovenian can pass, rebound, and score at his own slow pace. This style is much different from Jordan, who was much more explosive and liked to play a fast, athletic basketball. Now, that’s not to disrespect Luka’s or Larry’s style, as each has its own set of pros and cons.

However, both are vastly different from each other. Nonetheless, this isn’t the first time someone has compared Luka Doncic to the Boston Celtics icon. Prior to King’s statement, even one of Bird’s former teammates said something on similar lines, drawing parallels between the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and the Hall of Famer.

Larry Bird’s former teammate agrees with Stacey King’s Luka Doncic-Larry Bird comparison

Former Chicago Bulls star Stacey King isn’t the only one who sees similarities between Luka Doncic and Larry Bird, as former Finals MVP Cedric Maxwell also shares this thought. The veteran, who suited up alongside Bird for six seasons and even won two NBA championships with him, believes that the Slovenian point guard is Larry Bird’s reincarnation.

“You can quote me: This is Larry Bird reincarnated,” Maxwell told the New York Times a few years ago.

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“This would be Larry Bird of the 2020s, exactly how he would play now…Luka is better than Larry was at that age,” Maxwell added. “The biggest thing is that there’s an arrogance, a cockiness, that Luka has that is directly out of the bloodstream of Larry Bird.”

Indeed, there are several similarities between the two superstars. In fact, even Maxwell suggested that Luka Doncic being better than Bird when he was his age might not be that far-fetched after all. Despite just being 26 years old, Luka is a five-time All-NBA guard. However, he still has a long way to go before this can no longer be a debate.

That’s because apart from being a talented player, Bird has also won three-straight MVP honors, along with being a three-time NBA champion and a two-time Finals MVP, all of which Doncic is yet to achieve.

Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean the Lakers star doesn’t have what it takes. On the contrary, he’s on the right trajectory, as he continues to lead Los Angeles to the pinnacle while we wait and watch.