SI

Luka Doncic Didn’t Let LeBron’s Injury Keep Him From Throwing Thrilling Full-Court Passes

Tim Capurso

Doncic preparing to throw a full-court pass.
Doncic preparing to throw a full-court pass. / Screengrab Twitter @NBA
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After a victory over the Denver Nuggets on February 22, Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, having already connected with Luka Doncic on multiple full-court passes, likened his new connection to Doncic to that of NFL players, calling himself a "natural-born receiver" and Doncic a "natural-born quarterback."

Well, with James sidelined due to a groin injury, the Lakers were without their best receiver—to keep the analogy going in honor of NFL free agency—but they still had their quarterback in Doncic for Monday night's game against the Brooklyn Nets.

And the Slovenian superstar wasn't about to let James's injury stop him from throwing a full-court dime. With 4:51 remaining in the first quarter, Doncic received the inbounds pass, then turned and fired a full-court pass to Lakers forward Dalton Knecht, who scored the ensuing easy basket.

Doncic has nine points, nine rebounds, six assists and two steals at the half. The Lakers currently trail the Nets 48-47.

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Tim Capurso
TIM CAPURSO

Tim Capurso is a staff writer on the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. Prior to joining SI in November 2023, he wrote for RotoBaller and ClutchPoints, where he was the lead editor for MLB, college football and NFL coverage. A lifelong Yankees and Giants fan, Capurso grew up just outside New York City and now lives near Philadelphia. When he's not writing, he enjoys reading, exercising and spending time with his family, including his three-legged cat Willow, who, unfortunately, is an Eagles fan.

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