The Wonder Boy
Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness
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3.8 • 9 Ratings
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
ESPN’s Tim MacMahon goes behind the scenes of Luka Dončić’s years with the Dallas Mavericks—before his trade to the Lakers stunned the basketball world—telling the story of a franchise’s quest to build a championship team around a prodigy. Ebook now features a brand new chapter detailing Luka's shocking trade to the Lakers.
In 2018, the Dallas Mavericks landed the most hyped prospect in basketball history—teenaged Luka Doncic. With The Wonder Boy, MacMahon takes us beyond the highlights to the madness that ensues as the Mavericks try to avoid blowing their golden opportunity. From the internal power struggles in owner Mark Cuban’s front office during the early years of Doncic’s career, to the new regime’s effort to earn Doncic’s loyalty and put the ruthless competitor in position to win, readers will learn never-before-reported details about the saga’s biggest moments, including:
·The blockbuster deal for Kristaps Porzingis that blew up in the Mavs’ faces
·The divorces with coach Rick Carlisle and GM Donnie Nelson
·Jalen Brunson’s exit after a run to the Western Conference finals
·The new pairing with the mercurial Kyrie Irving
·The improbable journey to the 2024 Finals
As the clock ticks on the Mavs’ quest to win it all with their irreplaceable young star, The Wonder Boy pulls back the curtain on a dilemma every NBA team would love to have.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
This meticulous debut chronicle from ESPN reporter MacMahon charts the Dallas Mavericks' quest to build a championship team around point guard Luka Dončić. Recognized as a basketball prodigy from an early age, Dončić joined Spain's elite Real Madrid basketball team at age 16. The Dallas Mavericks took note, trading up two slots in the 2018 NBA draft to sign Dončić after the team tanked the previous season to ensure a high draft pick. The Mavericks' attempts "to build around him for a couple of decades to come" were hindered by behind-the-scenes tensions, MacMahon suggests, describing how head coach Rick Carlisle's insistence on complete control over play calling alienated Dončić, who enjoyed making daring and unpredictable moves. MacMahon portrays Dončić as a brash virtuoso whose ingenuity on the court is accompanied by penchants for talking trash and arguing with referees. The author sheds light on the complicated alchemy that goes into making a championship team, detailing how the Mavs traded point guard Dennis Smith Jr. to the New York Knicks in 2019 after determining Dončić was better suited to the position, and how power forward Kristaps Porziņģis, brought in later that year to complement Dončić, was also traded after his resentments about playing second fiddle to Dončić hampered the team's performance. NBA fans will want to add this to their shelf.
