Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic was named to the all-NBA first team for the third consecutive year.
He is only the fourth player in NBA history to make the first team three times before turning 24 years old, matching Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, and Maz Zaslofsky. He also is just the fourth player to earn three-or-more All-NBA honors in their first four seasons since 1976-77, matching Duncan, Larry Bird, and George Gervin.
“It’s a blessing,” Doncic said. “As a kid, I only dreamed of playing in the NBA. It’s my third all-NBA team, and it’s really a blessing. I’m thankful.”
Doncic is the third Dallas Maverick in team history to make the all-NBA team, with Dirk Nowitzki earning the honor 12 times and Steve Nash earning it twice.
The all-NBA First Team is chosen by a panel of 100 sportswriters and broadcasters who vote for the league’s best two-guard, two-forward, one-center starting lineup.
Joining Doncic in the 2021-22 edition is Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Denver Nuggets center and league MVP Nikola Jokić, Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker, and Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
Only regular-season statistics are considered for all-NBA voting. Doncic finished his fourth regular season averaging 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. He was third in scoring, fifth in assists, and 19th in rebounds, finishing in the top 25 in all three categories for the third consecutive season.
“I don’t think anybody’s surprised that he’s first team,” coach Jason Kidd said. “But that’s really cool for him. It just shows the talent level. And the other four are pretty talented, too.
Doncic helped lead the Mavericks to their first 50-win season since 2014-15. Dallas made it past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The NBA announced the first team less than an hour before the Mavericks tipped off against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night.
The Mavericks won Game 4 of the Western Conference finals behind a phenomenal performance from Doncic over Golden State. He showed why he made the all-NBA team with 30 points, 14 rebounds, and nine assists. He added two blocks and two steals.
“What he does for this team is incredible, not just points and assists, but being able to rebound the ball. And there at the end of the game, he got a nice little blocked shot to pad his defensive stats,” said Kidd.
“Again, he’s our leader,” Kidd added. “Where he goes, we go. And he loves that stage. For him to be first team with the other four, that’s a great honor for him.”
