Jason Kidd Tells Media to Figure Out if Luka Donćič Belongs in GOAT Debate

Stephen Douglas | May 31, 2024

May 30, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) at a press conference after winning the Western Conference Championship against the Minnesota Timberwolves in game five of the western conference finals for the 2024 NBA playoffs at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports / Bruce Kluckhohn-USA TODAY Sports

Luka Dončić has finally made his first NBA Finals. After six long years where he accomplished nothing but a Rookie of the Year award and five consecutive All-NBA First Team honors, the world can finally start to appreciate the 25-year old who has averaged 28.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 8.3 assists over his first 400 regular season games.

With all those personal accomplishments, combined with the Western Conference Finals victory, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd believes that the pressure is now on the media to put Luka in the GOAT conversation.

Jason Kidd on where Luka Doncic ranks now and among the greatest NBA players: “We believe he is one of the greatest. I think that’s up to the media to write. You guys will place him in a place of great and GOAT debates.” pic.twitter.com/H8ImsK8HlG

— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) May 31, 2024

Great news for Kidd. The capital "M" Media is all over this. On Get Up Friday morning Alan Hahn called him the best player in the NBA and compared him to Larry Bird and Kobe Bryant.

.@alanhahn compares Luka to Larry Bird and Kobe 😯 pic.twitter.com/UX7u3dV8AG

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 31, 2024

Not that there wasn't some resistence. In an earlier segment Kendrick Perkins said that Luka was only a top five player in the NBA. So while he did concede that Luka is a "bad man," he doesn't even consider him the Greatest of Right Now (GoRN). Perkins does seem willing to revist the debate should the Mavericks win the title.

"Is Luka a top five player in the NBA? He is. But he still has to complete the mission of wining the NBA championship before we anoint him of being the best player in the world."

—@KendrickPerkins 👀 pic.twitter.com/Qwq6zucb0q

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) May 31, 2024

This is heady stuff. Luckily, the NBA Finals don't begin until next Thursday night so there is plenty of time to have this conversation over and over and over again. Hopefully, by the time the actual games begin, the media will have figured it out and Jason Kidd can focus on coaching.

UPDATE: A reserved Stephen A. Smith weighed in by bringing up Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant on First Take.

.@stephenasmith says Luka was "sensational" in Game 5 of the WCF 😮‍💨

"It was the kind of performance that comes associated with all-time greatness. One for the books." pic.twitter.com/6AMekcA3Ug

— First Take (@FirstTake) May 31, 2024