Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic has apologized after posting a video to his social media pages that contained a racist statement against Albanian people, which he initially did not understand.
The guard landed himself in hot water after posting the video, which he removed immediately after realizing he had made a mistake.
"Sorry about the video i posted!! didn’t see the bad world !! i would never share something like that," said the 21-year-old basketball player on Twitter.
He also reached out to Albanian personality Deni Hoxha, who responded to the video with harsh remarks. Hoxha noted that he accepts Doncic's honest apology and understands that the video was shared without the hooper's full understanding of its content.
"Mavericks player Luka Doncic shared by mistake a video with racist remarks towards Albanians. Thank you Luka for your apology," said the Albanian. "I believe you. Reconciliation between our nations is the only way forward."
Doncic has blossomed into one of the best players in the entire league, becoming the first player to ever earn two 40-point triple-doubles before turning twenty-one. When/if the NBA season continues, he will surely be somebody to keep your eye on.
Do you think Luka Doncic can continue his tremendous rise in the basketball world?
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Trae Young Vs. Luka Doncic: A Tale Of Two Sophomores
Both Trae Young and Luka Doncic are setting a new standard for second-year players, stockpiling gaudy numbers and milestones from week to week.
A fateful draft-night trade will forever link these two stellar sophomores, but we’re still no closer to seeing who won in that exchange. Luka Doncic and Trae Young have set a new bar for NBA newcomers as they walked through the bowels of the arena and secured their seat at the proverbial table amongst the league’s elite - all while not even being able to gain access into the most popular night club in the same cities they watch on billboards, building wraps and banners. Even the Hawks General Manager Travis Schlenk admitted that his group was torn between the two players in scouting. It seems like every other night Young or Doncic deliver a virtuoso performance swinging the narrative in their favor. Since day one they have traded monster performances like boxers standing toe-to-toe and exchanging blow for blow.
The 2018 draft-night transaction sent the Atlanta Hawks’ first-round pick, Doncic, to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for their first-round pick, Young, and an additional first-round selection the following year. Since that moment the debate for Trae over Luka or Luka over Trae has raged on. Even the most passive sports fans have heard dissertations for one of the other. During the first half of the 2018 season, if you asked many basketball fans, the rookie of the year debate seemed an obvious choice. Luka Doncic raced out to a sizable lead over Trae Young, gobbling up all the headlines and fanfare. Yet in the season’s latter half, Young stepped up and surpassed Doncic in the eyes of many spectators and analysts. This tug-of-war for control will likely define their careers.
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The two have already amassed a litany of milestones between them. In the 76 year history of the NBA, only 16 players who began their rookie season under the age of 20 have managed to average more than 10 points in a season. Luka Doncic mangled that mark by posting a ridiculous 21 points per game his first year. The Dallas Maverick star became the youngest player to start an All-Star game in 15 years. He was the 9th youngest to ever play in the game and the 6th youngest to start. Young recently became the second player in NBA history with 10 or more 40 point games in one season at 21 years old or younger, joining LeBron James in a class of two. In only his second-year, Young is averaging 30 points and 9 assists per game. He now joins all-time great Oscar Robertson as the only players to average those marks in their second season.
The situations couldn’t be more different for the pair. Luka was drafted by one of the most well-run and well-coached organizations in the league. Since his first season, that organization has surrounded him with other all-star caliber players in Harrison Barnes, DeAndre Jordan and Kristaps Porzingis and owner Mark Cuban has worked tirelessly to field a competitive team as he always does. The Mavericks have seldom missed the postseason in the last 12 years. Meanwhile, Young was taken by the Hawks - a franchise wading in mediocrity for years with a string of nonsensical trades and head-scratching draft picks in recent memory. The two franchises are light-years apart.
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Aside from being in two dissimilar situations, they are two totally different players with styles of their own. Young is 6-foot-1 at 180lbs and relies on his long-range shooting to space the floor. Once the defense is pulled farther away from the basket to contest his long jumpers, Young can then dash by defenders with a lightning-quick first step. With the defense compromised, Young can then use his incredible court vision and passing ability to find teammates. If there is a path, Young isn’t afraid to venture into the paint and finish among the trees. Luka Doncic stands 6-foot-7 at 230lbs - a slightly more physical player-- and he is able to more considerably impact the game on the glass. The Slovenian totals 9.3 rebounds per game. Like Young, he’s a master at the pick-and-roll and has equally dazzling court vision. Neither are particularly great defenders but give effort on that end.
Most would point to wins and losses as the biggest difference between the two. Yet, that picture is still blurring due to Young’s lack of help (although the Hawks seem to be mounting a stand with the acquisition of Clint Capela). Prior to the Coronavirus-related postponement, Dallas was currently sitting at the 7 seed in the West, good enough for a playoff slot - while Atlanta is near the bottom and looks to be en route to another lottery pick. But the Mavericks have been in win-now mode since Cuban took over a majority stake in 2000. Since that year, the Hawks have only won six playoff series while the Mavericks have reached multiple NBA finals and even captured a title back in 2011, led by future Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki.
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Overall there looks to be a shift in the league with more and more young players getting an opportunity to compete early in their career. Three teams have a combined 13 rookies on their roster in Miami, Charlotte, and New York. Compare this to 2000-01 when all three clubs had a combined 5 rookies. The Hawks alone have played their rookies over 7,000 minutes this season. Additionally, for the first season in NBA history, four 21-year-olds (or younger) are on pace to average 21+ points per game: Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Zion Williamson, and Jayson Tatum.
As we begin to see the twilight of his career inch closer - arguably the game’s best player, LeBron James, told ESPN the league was in good hands moving forward. The 3-time NBA champion cited players like Luka Doncic, Trae Young, Jason Tatum, and others. Few can understand the pressure and gravity of success as a youngster like James. He graced the cover of Sports Illustrated as a senior in high school and scored his first career points at the age of 18 against the Sacramento Kings in one of the most highly anticipated debuts in all of sports.
Young believes time will yield him as the better of the two players a decade down the line, telling Bleacher Report"In my eyes, it's not a question—it's going to be me. But that's just the competitive nature in my blood, and I think that's the no-brainer with me."
Just like in their rookie campaign Young is getting better as the season goes on. The point guard is averaging 31 points per game since January 1st to Doncic’s 28 points per contest. Trae has also surged up to second on the league’s list of assist leaders, dishing 9.3 per game to Doncic’s 8.8. It looks like Trae has the edge for the moment but Luka is an inevitable tidal wave, coming at any moment to recapture the narrative. Regardless of who you think is better, the two are both arguably Top 10 players in year two which is pretty spectacular and we should just sit back and enjoy this battle for seasons to come. Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban doest not believe that the NBA season will be cancelled entirely, but he could see the season postponed long enough that games could be played into August. During an appearance on ESPN's Get Up on Thursday morning, Cuban explained how the league could play a handful of regular season games once the season resumes before going into the post-season format. As it stands, most NBA teams have approximately 20 games remaining on the regular season slate; Cuban thinsk they may only play a third of those games before jumping into the playoffs later this summer. The NBA suspended the season until further notice on Wednesday night, after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for COVID-19, also known as the coronavirus. The league's statement reads in part: "The NBA is suspending game play following the conclusion of Wednesday's schedule of games until further notice. The NBA will use this hiatus to determine next steps for moving forward in regard to the coronavirus pandemic." Of course, the players and coaches aren't the only ones impacted by the work stoppage. As a result, Mark Cuban is putting in motion a plan to financially support hourly employees that work at the American Airlines Center. Dallas Mavericks' second-year superstar Luka Doncic notched another triple-double on Wednesday night, as the Mavs outlasted Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans in an overtime thriller. Doncic led the way with 30 points, 17 rebounds and 10 assists, marking the 22nd triple-double of his young career. In doing so, he surpassed NBA Hall of Famer Jason Kidd as Dallas' all-time triple-double leader - and it only took Doncic a grand total of 122 games. The Slovenian sensation also became the youngest player in NBA history to record a 30, 15 and 10 stat line. Following the 127-123 victory it was revealed that Doncic was suffering from a nagging thumb injury that required an x-ray after his latest triple-double performance. "It hurts, but you've got to get through it," Doncic said, per ESPN. "You're probably going to get hit every game, almost every game, so you've just got to fight through it." Doncic, who just turned 21 a week ago, is currently averaging 28.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game. As a result of his incredible play, the Mavs have improved to 38-25, which puts them in the seventh seed in the Western Conference. That said, Dallas is just 2.5 games back of the fourth seed, currently held by the Houston Rockets. Check out some highlight's from Luka's record-breaking performance below. Kristaps Porzingis has been having a solid season with the Dallas Mavericks. After coming back from injury, Porzingis has proven to be a piece that the Mavericks have been missing for a while. Not to mention, the presence of Luka Doncic has suddenly turned this squad into legitimate playoff contenders. At this point, it's safe to say the Mavericks will make the playoffs, even if they aren't a top seed right now. They've built enough of a cushion that the playoffs aren't exactly a pipe dream. After last night's big overtime win against the New Orleans Pelicans, Porzingis was asked about the atmosphere and whether or not it matched that of a playoff game. Porzingis came through with a hilarious yet brutally honest answer that harkens back to his days with the abysmal New York Knicks. “I mean, I wish I had that experience to tell you," Porzingis said to a laughing crowd of journalists. While his answer may have been truthful, you can tell there was certainly some pain behind it. Porzingis used to be one of the few reasons to watch the Knicks but was traded last season after he requested a move. Moving forward, Doncic and Porzingis could be one of the league's premier dynamic duos. A quick Google search will inform you that Miami rapper Lil Pump is approximately five feet and five inches tall, but when he’s standing next to basketball superstars Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, he seriously looks like an ant. Taking in the Miami Heat home game against the Dallas Mavericks last week, Lil Pump got to watch his team celebrate a win against Luka Doncic and his teammates, but that wasn’t before he took some pictures with the team’s stars outside of their locker room. Receiving preferential treatment, Lil Pump was allowed to walk the backstage halls of the arena when he requested photos with Mavs’ legend Dirk Nowitzki and rising superstar Luka Doncic. The pictures show the rapper in his Canadian tuxedo, wearing double denim and looking seriously tiny next to the hoopers. Standing over seven feet tall, Dirk Nowitzki towers over Lil Pump, who doesn’t even reach the man’s shoulders. Next to Luka Doncic, who stands 6 feet seven (shout to Lil Wayne), Jetski appears to be a little taller but still, the proportional difference is insane. As many commenters are pointing out, I guess this is why they call him Lil Pump. The 19-year-old rapper has been quiet as of late, releasing “Coronao Now” with El Alfa several months ago and keeping his upcoming moves a secret. Luka Doncic has been one of the most exciting players in the NBA over the past couple of years and he continues to dominate the NBA, in just his second season. His play has helped lead the Dallas Mavericks to a playoff spot and if the team continues to build, they could very well become contenders in just a few years from now. Unfortunately, Doncic has been experiencing some injury woes this season. He hurt his ankle early in the season and eventually came back better than ever. Recently, he hurt his ankle again and has missed the last two games. While speaking to Callie Caplan of the Dallas Morning News, Doncic admitted that his injury has been lingering for a while and that it still isn't 100 percent. If you're a Mavericks fan, these comments have to give you pause. “I mean, it bothers me sometimes," Doncic said. "Obviously, it’s not healed 100%. That’s why I missed the game in Atlanta. It was swollen and, you know, I’m just trying to keep the swelling down.” The Mavericks are currently seventh in the Western Conference with a record of 35-23 and are 9 games ahead of 9th place. With this in mind, the Mavericks have a solid cushion moving forward, despite not having Doncic in the lineup. The Dallas Mavericks lost 111-107 to the Atlanta Hawks, Saturday night, prompting a series of tweets from Mark Cuban directed at NBA officials. As ESPN reports, Cuban's remarks were aimed at an overturned goaltending call on a shot from Atlanta's John Collins, which sealed the game. "So they call a goaltend," Cuban began. "They literally blew the whistle that it was a goaltend. There was a putback after the whistle. After review, they said no goaltend but count the basket? WTF is that? That's NBA officiating. "1 of the refs told us it was an inadvertent whistle, so it was not goaltending. Doesn't matter that people stopped. They thought the whistle came after the putback. So the basket counted. So what where they reviewing if it wasn't a goaltend?" Crew chief Rodney Mott explained the call after the game to reporters: "The ball hit the rim, so it was deemed an inadvertent whistle because it was ruled a good block. By rule, it's an inadvertent whistle. It's Rule 2. Because he (Collins) was in his shooting motion when my whistle blew, it's deemed a continuation, so therefore, the basket counts." "Refs have bad games," Cuban continued. "Crews have bad games. But this isn't a single game issue. This is the same s--- that has been going on for 20 years. Hire former refs who think they know how to hire, train and manage. Realize 2 years later they can't. Repeat." Cuban has been fined over $2 million for his comments on officiating since purchasing the Mavericks. Dallas Mavericks second-year superstar Luka Doncic earned All Star honors for the first time this season, and he admitted to being a little star struck by all of the celebrities who showed out in Chicago this past weekend. Out of all the A-listers who made the trip to the United Center for Sunday night's All Star Game, Doncic told reporters he was most pleased to see Cardi B seated courtside. Doncic, who was voted as a starter in his first All Star Game, finished with eight points and four assists for Team LeBron in his debut. The Slovenian superstar did not see the court at all during the thrilling fourth quarter, but that provided him even more of an opportunity to scan the crowd and soak in the moment. Judging from the way he blushed when talking about Cardi, his favorite All Star memory just might be this "Haaaaaaannnn!" tweet in acknowledgement of his post-game comments. Doncic, who will turn 21 at the end of February, is currently averaging 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. As a result of Luka's magnificent play, the Dallas Mavericks will come out of the All Star break with a record of 33-22, good enough for seventh in the Western Conference. The Mavs will visit the Orlando Magic on Friday night when they return to the court. Despite a ton of promise coming into the season, the Sacramento Kings have been downright abysmal this year. The Kings are one of those franchises that never seem to prosper no matter how hard they try. Last night was yet another example of that as they fell to the Dallas Mavericks by a score of 130-111. Perhaps the worst moment of the night was in the third quarter when Kings head coach Luke Walton received a technical foul for blasting the officials. At one point, Walton looked over at Mavs star Luka Doncic and told him to give the ref his autograph since he's clearly a fan. Of course, Walton was implying the ref was giving him easy calls. According to those who saw the exchange take place, Doncic went over to Walton and simply said "don't do that." After the game, Doncic spoke about the incident saying stuff like that happens all the time and that it was "nothing special." Walton also went on to comment about the whole ordeal where he said: “I have all the respect in the world for Luka. He got what he wanted tonight, wherever he wanted. I wasn’t saying anything to him. I don’t know if he thought I said something to him."
Mark Cuban Reveals How NBA Season Could Extend Into August
Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban envisions a scenario where NBA games will be played into August as a result of the coronavirus outbreak.
Luka Doncic Sets Mavs Record Just 122 Games Into His Career
Dallas Mavericks All Star Luka Doncic sets franchise record for triple-doubles, surpassing Hall of Famer Jason Kidd.
Kristaps Porzingis Takes Hilarious Shot At The New York Knicks
Kristaps Porzingis was brutally honest after the Dallas Mavericks' latest win.
Lil Pump Looks Microscopic Next To Luka Doncic
Lil Pump posed for pictures with Dallas Mavericks’ star Luka Doncic and the legendary Dirk Nowitzki, who absolutely tower over him.
Hollywood To You/Star Max/Getty Images Luka Doncic Offers Concerning Update On His Ankle Injury
Luka Doncic has been dealing with injuries all season.
Mark Cuban Fires Off On NBA Refs For "20 Years" Of Bad Officiating
In a series of tweets, Mark Cuban called out NBA refs for over "20 years" of bad officiating after the Mavericks' loss to the Hawks on Saturday night.
Hector Vivas / Getty Images
Luka Doncic Names Cardi B Favorite Celeb At ASG: Cardi Reacts
Cardi B shouts out Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic after being named his favorite celeb at the All Star Game.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images
Luke Walton Goes Off On Luka Doncic Over Bad Officiating, Luka Responds
Luke Walton wasn't a fan of Luke Doncic getting every call.
