Former Boston Celtics guard Evan Turner remembers when Luka Doncic first caught the attention of Boston’s coaching staff. It was October 2015, during the Celtics’ preseason trip to Madrid, when Real Madrid had a 16-year-old prospect who was already impressing coach Brad Stevens. Turner traveled with the team but missed both games on the European trip because of a knee strain, so he did not play against Doncic that night.
The Celtics won 111-96, with Avery Bradley scoring a team-high 17 points. Doncic played around 16 minutes and finished with one point, four rebounds and one assist. He later recalled scoring zero points in regulation, though the box score credits him with a free throw. The NBC Sports Boston recap of the game documents the result and Doncic’s appearance.
Turner recalled that Stevens pointed out Doncic’s potential, describing him as a big guard who was already very good. The Celtics had grown tired of the hype surrounding European prospects during preseason, and Turner remembered Doncic getting his opportunity late in the game. The box score lists 16 minutes of playing time, so the exact timing remains based on Turner’s recollection.
Turner said Doncic’s pace stood out. Rather than relying only on speed, the guard used changes of rhythm, hip shifts and step-backs to make defenders react before he made his move. The podcast host also highlighted Doncic’s body control and underrated strength, explaining how he uses his frame to get opponents onto his hip.
Turner explained just how unusual those movements looked to him. “But I’m like, how the hell did he learn how to do this? Like he’ll walk up on you, switch his hip, go this way, go that way. And then it’s like, yo, he’s if he goes left, he’s going to step back, but it’s like he didn’t threw you off so much.” His point was that Doncic could disrupt a defender’s balance and expectations without needing to be the fastest player on the floor.
Turner also recalled a separate encounter with Doncic when the Slovenian was around 19. He remembered teammates being impressed by how difficult the young player was to guard. That memory came later than the 2015 Madrid exhibition, when Doncic was 16.
Turner pointed to Doncic’s competitiveness as a major reason for his development. He also mentioned his father, Saša, who played basketball in Slovenia. Bleacher Report has described Saša as a six-time Slovenian league All-Star. Turner believed genetics alone could not explain his son’s rise, pointing instead to the competitive drive that helped him reach another level.
“I just want to know how he turned out to be LeBron like from Slovenia,” Turner said.
The comparison captured Turner’s amazement at Doncic’s development. It was not a claim that the two players have identical styles, but a reflection of how a young Slovenian prospect grew into one of basketball’s most accomplished stars.
Doncic had been on a professional path for years before entering the NBA. He joined Real Madrid’s youth system at 13 and made his Spanish ACB debut in April 2015, becoming the youngest player to appear for the club in that competition. In 2018, he led Real Madrid to the EuroLeague title, won both the EuroLeague MVP and Final Four MVP awards, and was selected third overall in the NBA Draft.
Doncic’s rise continued in 2025-26, when he led the NBA in scoring with 33.5 points per game and earned his sixth All-NBA First Team selection. He also grew up admiring LeBron James, adding context to Turner’s comparison.
The teenager who made a brief appearance against Boston in Madrid went on to become one of the NBA’s leading players. For Turner, the memory remains a reminder of how early Doncic’s talent was being noticed, long before his professional career reached its current heights.