Latest Naruto fanart gives the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Draft Lottery luck an Itachi-Sasuke spin

Naruto was once again at the forefront of basketball discourse on X since a user named @luckymong1, notorious for making illustrations of anime mixed with this sport, made a fanart of the iconic Itachi and Sasuke moment as a reference to the NBA Draft Lottery luck of the Dallas Mavericks. This included the element of having Luka Doncic as Itachi, Cooper Flagg as Sasuke, and Mavericks General Manager Nico Harrison as Danzo Shimura.

This Naruto fanart illustration plays with the idea of how Harrison might have manipulated events for the sake of the Mavericks, much like Danzo made a lot of morally corrupt decisions for the Hidden Leaf Village. Moreover, the Doncic and Flagg portion of the illustration is meant to mirror Itachi and Sasuke in the sense of how there is a darker truth beneath their conflict, which is the way the NBA Draft Lottery has been executed this time around.

Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers from the manga/anime and reflects the opinions of the writer and the people quoted.

Naruto fanart adapts the Dallas Mavericks' NBA Draft Lottery through the iconic Itachi and Sasuke scene

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It was recently confirmed that the Dallas Mavericks are going to get the first choice in the NBA Draft Lottery, which resulted in the artist @luckymong1 making an illustration of Cooper Flagg as Sasuke Uchiha when he was being touched in the forehead by his brother Itachi, who is depicted as Luka Doncic. This was complemented by having Nico Harrison, the General Manager of the Dallas Mavericks, as Danzo Shimura.

The Harrison and Danzo comparisons are because of the way Doncic was handled in that team, mirroring what the Hidden Leaf Village leader did with Itachi, pushing the latter to murder his own clan. While Danzo is certainly a lot worse, this illustration is mainly serving as comedic entertainment for anime and basketball fans.

More reactions online

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It makes for a very apt comparison when considering that Naruto initially establishes Itachi as a monster who murdered Sasuke's entire clan and is later revealed that he was forced to do so because of the Hidden Leaf Village's leadership, particularly Danzo. In that regard, there is a feeling among basketball fans that Cooper Flagg is going to be manipulated by Harrison much like he did with Doncic in the past.

It is the early stages of the NBA Draft Lottery, though, and fans are going to have to wait and see what happens with Cooper Flagg, although everything seems to suggest that he is going to join the Dallas Mavericks, much to the surprise of a lot of people.

"This is probably your best work yet, and that’s saying something. Damn. Amazingly good for the situation and great art as usual," someone said.

"Nico Harrison as Danzo is just flat out hilarious 🤣🤣🤣 I feel for Luka. What Nico did will never sit right with me. Hopefully that never happens to Cooper," another person said.

"Absolutely perfect all three characters reflect their real life counterparts pretty well. Fire Nico," someone else said.

A lot of people have praised the artist for his interpretation of the characters, especially when it comes to depicting Nico Harrison as Danzo Shimura. This has been a common staple of this user's work throughout the years, especially when it comes to merging NBA content with anime.

"You’ve never missed, elite reference and Nico Harrison as danzo >>>>," another person said.

"Ngl this is fire man like absolutely fire. And I’m so sick for what the NBA did like damn. Again so well done," someone else said.

This has been an illustration that has appealed to a lot of Naruto and NBA fans, especially regarding their thematic similarities.

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About the author

Kevin is an expert anime writer at Sportskeeda who endeavors to keep readers apprised with the latest news and trends in the genre via his content. The groundbreaking Dragon Ball series captured a young Kevin's imagination, introducing him to the entrancing world of Japanese animation. Since then, he has been a staunch follower of the works of many artists, including Berserk's creator, Kentaro Miura, who he admires greatly for his unparalleled work quality.

With a BA in Public Accounting, Kevin’s dip into the world of content began 7 years ago when he took up writing. Since then, he has written for numerous websites, including Nerdgenic, Stretty News, MusikHolics, and BookNerdection.

He maintains very high ethical standards in his content by placing a strong emphasis on transparency, and obtaining comprehensive information off the web to fully capture nuances.

Kevin has has had the privilege of interviewing several musicians, including metal band Stryper’s Michael Sweet, Bobby Blitz of Overkill, and Saxon’s Biff Byford.

When not immersed in the anime world, Kevin writes comic book scripts and books for his own projects. He also enjoys reading and watching football.

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Edited by Meghna