Luka Doncic, end of childhood for 'El Niño Maravilla'

The last time Steph Curry lifted the NBA trophy, in 2018, Luka Doncic was a 19-year-old boy who had just landed in the United States.

The Slovenian had been signed that summer in the

by the Atlanta Hawks and immediately transferred to the Dallas Mavericks.

Four years later, Curry and Doncic meet in the Western Conference final.

The meeting between the two stars is the clash between a legendary veteran and one of the figures called to be the future of the NBA.

It is the end of childhood for El Niño Maravilla.

Accustomed to the label of phenomenon and genius since before he came of age, Doncic (Ljubljana, 1999) has an uphill road against Golden State, which leads the series 2-0 with the next two games being played in Dallas on Sunday and on Tuesday.

The team of Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green drew on the experience in the second half of Friday's game and turned around a game where the Mavs' defense blew a 19-point lead.

"We're going to believe until the end," said the Slovenian, who had 43 points in the second game.

There is concern in the Dallas camp, as the star suffered a bad night after the first game (defeat Dallas 112-87), in which he did not sleep and vomited due to gastric problems.

On Friday he confessed that he also has pain in his right shoulder, although he assured that it is "nothing serious."

The disadvantage is not insurmountable for Doncic, who has led Dallas through the playoffs for three straight years.

The Mavericks beat the Warriors three of four games played in the regular season.

Also, Game 7 against the Phoenix Suns, the No. 1 team in the West, is still fresh in fans' memories.

The base, who averages 28.4 points, 9 rebounds and 8 assists per game, his best mark since 2019, was the executioner at the end of the series.

He had 35 points, 27 of them in the first half, the same number as the entire Arizona team at halftime.

He spent the entire game smiling after sending the ball to the hoop.

It was a humiliating finish at home for Chris Paul and Devin Booker, who had started the semi-final with two wins over Texas.

Luka Doncic leaves the court after defeating the Phoenix Suns at home. Christian Petersen (AFP)

Son of Mirjam Poterbin, a world dance champion, and the Slovenian basketball player Sasha Doncic, Luka grew up with the basketball among the objects of his childhood.

At three months he was already visiting the courts in his father's games and at six he began to shoot from mid-range and learn tactics on the court.

Doncic is used to continuing despite being on the ropes.

It has been part of his mentality since he was a young talent at Real Madrid, a team he joined in 2015 and for which he played almost 100 games, winning two Leagues, one Intercontinental Cup and one Cup. On his arrival in America, where he barely played his fourth year and where he won the rookie of the year 2019, the European has left notorious performances on the floor in the two eliminations of his team at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Last year, he scored 46 points in a Game 7 loss.

And one before, the one in the NBA that was played in the Disney bubble due to the pandemic, the point guard had a better scoring average (31) in the playoffs than Michael Jordan.

The start of this season has been the hardest for Doncic.

After being eliminated by Kahwi Leonard's squad, he reported to his country's national team to play in the Tokyo Games.

Slovenia came in fourth position.

When the point guard rejoined his team, everyone pointed out to him that he had a little too much meat.

“He's running around the floor… He's got to lose weight,” legendary guard Reggie Miller said in a game call.

“I took three weeks off and relaxed a bit.

Maybe too much,” said Doncic, who returned with 117 kilos (he weighed 104).

"I think he didn't like that they pointed it out to him," said Mark Cuban, the businessman who owns the Mavericks.

“I think he has finally realized that a level of discipline is required.

Athletes at that level need it.

When everything is easy for you, and you are used to being the best and having all the support.

Then something goes wrong and forces you to reconsider”, added the investor.

Still, Doncic was the leading scorer in 59 of the 82 games that season (in February he had 51 points against the Clippers).

He changed his diet and lost what was left over.

Dallas also dropped ballast in February by sending Kristaps Porzingis to Washington for Spencer Dinwiddie.

The plan worked for Jason Kidd, who after making the team gave Dallas its first postseason win by eliminating Utah.

Dallas was champion for the only time in 2011 with another European legend, Dirk Nowitzki.

The German retired in 2019, the first season for the Slovenian.

He then handed over the baton to Luka.

“I've tried to mentor him very little.

Obviously, he's already very good.

It's already better than I was," Nowitzki said in April, who likes to think what kind of team Dallas would have been if the two had met in their prime.

It will be Doncic's job to elevate Dallas in the future of the NBA.

His name begins to be repeated more and more in the conversations of the greatest talents in the League.

In the voting for this year's MVP, Doncic came in fifth place behind Nikola Jokic, who repeated the award;

Joel Embiidd of Philadelphia;

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks and Devin Booker.

The consensus seems to be that Luka's time has come.

Before that, however, Stephen Curry and some Warriors who have marked an era await him.

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