LUKA DONČIĆ EARNS FIFTH STRAIGHT ALL-STAR SELECTION
DALLAS – The NBA announced today that Mavericks guard Luka Dončić has been named a starter for the 73rd NBA All-Star Game, which will take place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Sunday, Feb. 18 at 7 p.m. CT on TNT. It marks his fifth straight All-Star selection and his franchise-record fourth time being voted as a starter (2020, 2021, 2023, 2024). The announcement took place during TNT’s pregame show with Dončić live on set.
The 24-year-old joins LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, Isiah Thomas and Anthony Davis as the only players to earn five All-Star nods before their 25th birthday (O’Neal and Davis each missed one game due to injury). Dončić also passed Rolando Blackman (4) for the second-most All-Star selections in Mavericks history. Hall of Famer Dirk Nowitzki, who holds the franchise record for the most All-Star appearances (14), is the only other Maverick to garner five-or-more consecutive All-Star bids (11 straight, 2002 to 2012).
Dončić (6-7, 230) is averaging a career-high (team-high) 33.6 points (second in the NBA), a team-high 8.5 rebounds (21st in the NBA), a career-high (team-high) 9.3 assists (third in the NBA), a career-high (team-high) 1.41 steals (ninth in the NBA) and a career-high (team-high) 36.9 minutes per game (sixth in the NBA) in 37 games (all starts) this season. He is shooting 48.2% (423-878 FG) from the field, a career-high 37.3% (143-383 3FG) from 3-point range and a career-best 76.9% (253-329 FT) from the foul line. Dončić leads the NBA in 30-point triple-doubles (8), 35-point triple-doubles (5) and 40-point triple-doubles (2). Dončić is also tied for first in the league in 35-point efforts (16) and ranks second in 30-point performances (29) and 40-point outings (7).
The four-time All-NBA First Team selection tallied 30-plus points in a franchise-record 11 consecutive games (Nov. 22 to Dec. 18), breaking the previous such record held by himself (9 games, Oct. 19 to Nov. 7, 2022). Dončić averaged 37.5 points, 8.9 rebounds, 11.1 assists, 1.5 steals and 39.5 minutes over his 13 games in December, joining Oscar Robertson (December 1960) as the only players in NBA history to average at least 35.0 points, 8.0 rebounds and 10.0 assists during any one month (min. 10 games). He also broke his own franchise record (35.1 ppg in December 2022) for the highest-scoring month in Mavericks history.
Dončić notched his 60th career triple-double with 40 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in the team’s 50-point win (147-97) over Utah on Dec. 6, passing Larry Bird (59) for the ninth-most triple-doubles in NBA history. He had 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists by halftime, becoming the first player in league history to record a 25-point triple-double in a single half.
The 6-7 Slovenian poured in a season-high 50 points (15-25 FG, 8-16 3FG, 12-12 FT) to go along with six rebounds, 15 assists, a season-high-tying four steals and a season-best three blocks in the team’s 128-114 win at Phoenix on Christmas Day. He became the first player in NBA history to record such a stat line and the second player to record a 50-point game with 15-or-more assists (Harden, 53 points and 17 assists, vs. New York, Dec. 31, 2016).
Dončić, who joined Bernard King, Chamberlain and Rick Barry as the only players in league history to score 50-plus points on Christmas Day, also eclipsed 10,000 career points with a 34-foot 3-pointer at the 4:52 mark of the first quarter against the Suns. Dončić became the sixth-fastest player to the milestone in terms of age (24 years, 300 days) and tied for the seventh-fastest in terms of games played (358).
Dončić recently posted consecutive 30-point triple-doubles at the L.A. Lakers on Jan. 17 (33 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists) and against Boston on Jan. 22 (33 points, 18 boards and 13 assists) en route to passing James (37) for the third-most 30-point triple-doubles in NBA history (38).
Dončić is poised to match the total number of All-Star starts made by the rest of the Mavericks organization combined (4) when he makes his fourth career All-Star start in Indianapolis.
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