Luka Doncic’s meteoric ascent to stardom has been nothing short of spectacular. From making his professional debut for Real Madrid at 16 to spearheading the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals, the Slovenian has made great strides. Luka Doncic has already achieved a considerable notoriety that he has been dubbed the “Modern-day Larry Bird” by many. On an edition of the renowned TV show “Undisputed,” NFL legend Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless addressed Luka’s moniker.

Doncic’s ascent this season has been spectacular to witness, and many people have taken note. One of them was former Detroit Pistons player John Salley. Salley showered admiration on the Slovenian and compared him to NBA legend Larry Bird during an appearance on The Rich Eisen Show.

“I would be afraid to play against Luka. I’m telling you personally, that’s how good he is. … He’s this much below Larry Bird, or maybe that much, but Larry Bird would put fear in me and everyone else just like Luka does”, Salley said.

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Shannon Sharpe agreed with the comparisons and likened Luka’s playing style to Bird’s. However, as one might anticipate, Skip Bayless had some hot takes and didn’t quite agree.

“They’re both outstanding playmakers. I can see the comparisons, which is why I made it years ago.” Sharpe said. To this, Bayless hilariously replied, “So you started this blasphemy, it’s all your fault….and my man (John) Salley went along for this ride, I don’t know what possessed him.”

Bayless then highlighted how comparing Luka to Bird is a stretch and compared their shooting abilities. “Larry Bird wasn’t just a good shooter, he was a great shooter. He was a dead-eye…deadly shooter who could shoot you in the heart. Bird was a great clutch shooter and he was a great free throw shooter. He was a 90% free throw shooter. Your (Sharpe) man Luka’s so far in his career is 74%. And he’s a career, right now, 34% three-point shooter and he’s high volume.”

Skip Bayless: Luka Oncic, No D

The Golden State Warriors trounced the Dallas Mavericks 109-100 in Game 3 of the Western Conference Finals on Sunday. Luka Doncic tallied 40 points for the Mavericks in the defeat. That’s the third time he’s done it in these playoffs, all of which have concluded in Dallas defeats.

Skip Bayless resorted to social media following the game to chastise Luka Doncic. He highlighted something that many analysts have addressed: his defense. “Luka Oncic. No D,” Bayless tweeted.

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Bayless outlines why Doncic’s comparison to Larry Bird was a reach. The Mavericks’ leader is unquestionably one of the best scorers and offensive players in the league. But the really exceptional players can command both ends of the court. That’s exactly what Jordan did. That’s what LeBron did for most of his career. And that’s exactly what Larry Bird did.

Doncic is only in the fourth year of his NBA career. Given his passion and drive, the Slovenian is expected to grow in all facets of the game.

Luka Doncic fell victim to Wiggins’ poster

While Luka had a pretty solid game 3 individually from an offensive standpoint, he fell prey to one of the craziest poster dunks in recent postseason history.

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With just over six minutes remaining in the fourth quarter and Dallas down 91-83, Warriors player Andrew Wiggins went to the tenth floor and slammed down an unreal dunk on Doncic. The officials first called an offensive foul on Wiggins, but after a review, the ruling was reversed and the dunk stood.

Mavericks now trail the Warriors 3-0 in the Western Conference Finals. Doncic and company will certainly do everything possible to extend this series and prevent a sweep. Clearly, Warriors are currently in the driver’s seat. Can Luka rally the troops and make an astonishing comeback? Only time will tell.