How Playoff Luka was born in his early years in Spain

Lakers fans who haven’t had much of the Playoff Luka experience yet are in for a treat.

As opposed to most, Luka Dončić didn’t need to gain playoff experience in the NBA in order to learn how to perform on the biggest stage. From his first day in the league, he had more experience playing under pressure than quite a few NBA veterans.

I don’t say this lightly, but if you’ve ever experienced a EuroLeague final four game, you know what I mean. No NBA games come close to the noise, crowd taunting and chanting, and Luka has played and thrived in it all with Real Madrid before getting drafted.

Last year, Dončić was asked what the most rowdy environment he’s ever played in was, and the answer came quickly.

Quarterfinal EuroLeague game in Greece against Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos.

You can imagine what playing under this kind of pressure does to you, and how nothing can rattle you once you’ve mastered playing here. You can’t communicate with your teammates at all. You can’t hear the coach. Hand signals become pivotal when calling plays and setting screens.

At just 19, Dončić managed to lead Real Madrid to a EuroLeague title in that environment. During his three years of playing professionally in Spain, Luka went from a 16-year-old rookie prodigy to a veteran leader at just 19, leading his team along with his own mentors, Sergio Llull and Rudy Fernandez.

The legend of El Niño Maravilla grew as Dončić kept thriving under pressure in Europe, stepping up in the biggest of games and finally winning the EuroLeague title and MVP the same year the Dallas Mavericks drafted him.

Here are a few examples of his play his final year in Madrid, where he’s using his step-back, stop-and-go movements, playmaking and elite finishing touch around the rim in the biggest moments at 19:

So when Dončić stepped on the court for his first playoff game in the NBA, he was ready. He was prepared for the pressure, the bright lights and the spotlight. And every time he has played in the playoffs during his NBA tenure, he has produced great moments, great stories and narratives — and incredible basketball.

Here are some of the best storylines, moments and highlights from his greatest playoff games in the NBA, as of now.

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Game 7 vs. Suns, 2022

As the Mavericks went into this playoff series in 2022, they were the ultimate underdogs. Back then, the Phoenix Suns were favorites to win it all, had the most wins in the regular season (64) and were considered unbeatable.

Somehow, Dallas managed to take it to Game 7, where the world got to witness one of the most spectacular games of that year’s playoffs. By halftime, Dončić had the same amount of points as the entire Suns roster, and ended up beating a supposedly unbeatable team and moving on to the Western Conference Finals.

Multiple classic GIFs and memes have come from this game, like Dončić smiling at Devin Booker, who had been taunting him earlier in the series.

It’s also when Dončić said the famous words after a loss, “Everybody acting tough when they up.”

“Who’s crying now?” vs. Wolves, 2024

In the series against the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2024, Dončić managed to win Snoop’s heart with four simple words: “Who’s crying now, m------f-----!” Already a classic, showing how trash talk gets him going like nothing else.

Watch Snoop tell the story himself:

Step-back dagger over the Defensive Player of the Year, 2024

Once again, a great moment versus the Wolves, when Dončić got Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert on skates with his elite stop-and-go moves before drilling a step-back three, a dagger of sorts, putting the Wolves away in the WCF and Gobert to sleep.

When Luka returned to Dallas this season, he noted that moment as the one that stuck out most in the Mavs’ tribute video.

Buzzer beater vs. Clippers, 2020

This one speaks for itself. An amazing play, shot and show of fearlessness in the moment, a buzzer-beater three to win the game in overtime.

Playoff debut vs. Clippers, 2020

And lastly, Dončić’s playoff debut in 2020 versus the L.A. Clippers, where he had the highest-scoring game ever in a playoff debut. Watch him confidently take over the game at 21 years of age and score 42 points.

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This, of course, serves as a reminder for us all that Luka came into the league not only ready to play among the best, but playoff-ready. A playoff riser extraordinaire, Dončić is a great regular-season player. But in some way, he manages to reach another level when the pressure mounts, something we only see in the best of the best.

The pressure on the Los Angeles Lakers to perform and contend no matter what, every single year, may be the highest of all NBA teams. So, in many ways, for someone like Luka, who’s always looking for a challenge and for the brightest lights, the Lakers could be a match made in heaven.

Because Playoff Luka is different, and it’s just a matter of time before he shows us all why once again.