100 points in 24 hours as Luka Doncic is setting new standards for what it means to represent the Purple and Gold franchise. The effort has not gone unnoticed, as Lakers legend James Worthy is ready to put the Slovenian ahead of former greats like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant. He has a pretty good reason for it.

“Historically, the Lakers have had clutch players,” Worthy said. “Kareem with the sky hook. Magic with his play. Kobe, Shaq. But I don’t think we’ve ever had one as consistent and dominant as Luka Doncic. The way he controls the game with the ball in his hand, and he’s a shot maker. He’s a shot maker from anywhere. He’s really good at drawing fouls too.”

Big Games James played alongside Kareem-Abdul Jabbar and even led the Lakers during their playoff runs in 87 and 88. So, the praise coming from Worthy holds absolute weight. Over the years, he has seen various greats representing the Purple and Gold franchise, including Shaq and Kobe. Mamba was perhaps the greatest mid-range technician in history and executed difficult shots on the floor.

Bryant also did it with extreme shot volume and isolation scoring. Meanwhile, O’Neal, being a dominant center, did it with his physical dominance and efficiency inside the paint. On the other hand, Luka Doncic can be a one-man offensive engine who can systematically dismantle a modern defense through a mix of scoring and passing. It was visible in tonight’s 60-point explosion against the Heat.

The Slovenian did this after scoring 40 points with 10 assists a night before. Before the game, he was dealing with right hip soreness after Wednesday’s physical win over Houston, but it didn’t matter against the Heat. He scored 39 points in the second half, including 20 in the final frame, and also earned MVP chants from the Kaseya Center.

It marked Doncic’s second 50-point effort in the last five games while he also set the franchise single-season record for most made 3-pointers.

Another Lakers legend wants Luka Doncic to win MVP

Fighting pain and fatigue, Luka has made sure that the Lakers are on a winning streak of eight games. During that stretch, the Slovenian has comfortably scored 40.9 points. He has also scored 30 or more in his last eight games. Clearly, the momentum is on his side, but still, he is not dominating the MVP conversations. Magic Johnson wants to change that.

“Luka Doncic is the most unguardable player in the NBA! He scored a season high 60 points in tonight’s win against the Miami Heat,” Johnson wrote on X. “Luka has to be one of the top 2 or 3 players being considered in the MVP race.”

Doncic leads the NBA in scoring and has now pushed the Lakers to be a comfortable third seed. Since March, he has been the fourth-best Lakers player with a defensive rating of 109.4. Clearly showcasing the improved two-way domination that any star needs to sweep the MVP award.