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Luka Doncic Is 'Contagious' (With Mavs Joy)

Young Superstar Luka Doncic Is 'Contagious' - No, Not Like That; 'Contagious' With His Joy for Dallas Mavericks Basketball
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DALLAS - We have to choose our words careful in this time and in this place, and so when someone says that young superstar Luka Doncic's greatest gift to the Dallas Mavericks is that something about him is "contagious,'' we do a double-take.

So yeah, it jumps out in a humorous way when Mavs owner Mark Cuban answers a question about "the best of Luka.''

“How much fun he has playing the game,'' Cuban said in an interview with Steve Serby of the New York Post. "That he truly enjoys every minute on the court and that joy is contagious.''

Obviously, we know what Tony Cubes means, and what he means has nothing to do with COVID-19. It's all about Luka's charisma, which has been apparent here from the day be became a Mav two years ago. He won the 2019 Rookie of the Year Award due to, among many thinks, that charisma. He was (is?) in the MVP conversation this season before play was suspended in March due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

And if the Mavs are to accomplish anything in the resumption of the 2019-20 season in the Orlando bubble starting at the end of July? Yes, the WonderBoy's ability to fill a stat sheet will be key. Dallas is 40-27 and in seventh in the West largely due to Doncic averaging 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game for the Mavs.

But as Cuban points out, Doncic's gifts are about more than stats, and about more than conventional measures of basketball talent.

Aside from his obvious talent, however, Mavs owner Mark Cuban says what has really impressed him about Luka is his “joy” for basketball.

"He is obviously skilled,'' Cuban said, "but he has the ability to make everyone on the court with him better.”

That's a product of Luka Doncic's "joy.'' And it's not only Mavs teammates who benefit; Mavs Nation gets to enjoy the "contagiousness'' as well.