Tony Parker: Luka Dončić Can’t Be GOAT European Player Until He Wins NBA Title

Doric SamJanuary 17, 2024

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Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Dončić is already considered to be one of the best players to come to the NBA from Europe, but one Hall of Famer believes he has a ways to go before he can be considered the greatest European NBA player of all time.

The first episode of The Why with Dwyane Wade from iHeartPodcasts and Wade’s 59th & Prairie Entertainment was released on Wednesday featuring a roundtable discussion with Wade’s fellow 2023 Basketball Hall of Fame inductees Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol and Tony Parker, all of whom hail from Europe.

The topic of who the European GOAT is came up, and Parker said he doesn’t consider Dončić to be worthy of the moniker right now because he’s yet to lead the Mavericks to an NBA title.

“For me, to be in the conversation, you have to win a championship,” Parker said. “That’s just my personal opinion… To me, because I won a championship, if you don’t understand what it takes to win a championship, I don’t think you should be in the debate.”

Of course, the only time the Mavs won a title was when Nowitzki led them over Wade’s Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

While Dončić is a perennial MVP candidate who has put forth some of the most dazzling performances in the NBA in recent years, his success has yet to translate to team success. Aside from a surprising run to the Western Conference Finals in 2022, Dallas has yet to come close to another championship with Dončić leading the way.

At 24-17 entering Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Mavs are tied for first place in the Southwest Division. If Dallas can keep it up and make it back to the playoffs, it remains to be seen if Dončić will be able to carry the team to an elusive second championship this time around.