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Luka Doncic recently appeared on NBA Today. He described meeting Michael Jordan at the 2020 All-Star Game. Despite signing with 'MJ's shoe line 'Air Jordan' in December 2019, Doncic was yet to meet the legendary face of the brand at the time.
Speaking with NBA Today, Doncic described what it was like to meet a player generally regarded as the greatest to ever play the game:
"I met him at my first All-Star. I think he was doing some celebration of something, I don't know, but I was nervous. I didn't know what to say."
When asked if he was able to say anything at all, Doncic added:
"Yeah, I was just saying hi... then how are you, I think something like that."
Meeting Michael Jordan can be nerve wracking for anyone, let alone a second-year player that is in a new country. Those nerves, however, are likely behind Luka Doncic now. We saw Jordan embrace him at the most recent All-Star game.
Doncic has established himself as one of the best players in the NBA. During his appearance on NBA Today, Doncic announced that his first signature shoe with the Jordan Brand will be released on September 23.
Can Luka Doncic reach Michael Jordan's level of greatness?
Since he entered the league, we have heard Luka Doncic draw comparisons to Michael Jordan. While Doncic has established himself as a top tier talent in the NBA, there is a long way to go before GOAT comparisons with 'MJ' can be justified.
Jordan's greatness is not just a product of his talent and the stats that he has accumulated. His mentality and constant commitment to winning are heavy contributors to his greatness.
During Jordan's era of dominance in 1990s, no superstar won a ring if 'MJ' wasn't on one of his hiatuses.
For Luka Doncic to achieve Michael Jordan's level of greatness, he will have to transcend the game while his contemporaries face title droughts.
Jordan instilled fear in his opponents in a way that nobody but Kobe Bryant has emulated since. Some stars may surpass his numbers in a high-paced, high-scoring league of today. But as Jordan once put it, Stats don't define greatness.
Revisit some of Jordan's legendary moments below:
Guess the Lakers players!
