How Old Was Luka Dončić When He Went Pro?

By Edcel Panganiban February 21, 2023 22:09

Slovenian basketball wunderkind Luka Doncic was a prodigy whose extraordinary talents and potential were evident long before he made his professional debut in hoops at an age when most of us can barely put on our socks. Those numbers tell part of the story, and they show up when we examine Doncic's professional career abroad as well.

Early Beginnings

Luka Doncic Born: February 28, 1999, Ljubljana, Slovenia He started playing basketball at a very young age, and while growing up he often accompanied his father Sasa Doncic who happened to be a professional basketball player.
Involvement with the Youth Academy at Real Madrid.

When Doncic was just 13, he made a crucial decision in his basketball life. He was signed by the European powerhouse, Real Madrid in 2012. It forced him to move away from his family in Slovenia and travel to Spain, where he enrolled in Real Madrid's world-famous youth academy.

Professional Debut at 16

His ability and dedication were quickly noticed by the first-team coaches at Real Madrid, so despite being just 16 years of age, he was given his debut for Los Blancos only a year later. Luka Doncic made his senior team debut at Real Madrid with 16 years, two months, and two days on April 30th… This achievement saw him becoming the youngest player to have ever played for Real Madrid's senior team.

Early Professional Career

However, Doncic appeared in 51 games during the EuroLeague and ACB (Spanish League) competition that same year at just aged 16. While getting the most playing time of his career as a reserve, he averaged 4.3 points/2.5 rebounds in over 12 minutes per game. But that experience of basketball on the highest level was so beneficial to his growth.

Rapid Rise to Stardom

The ascension of Doncic was swift and merciless. Tyler Haws — In his second season with the senior team of Real Madrid (2016-17), he recorded 26 starts in a combined 77 appearances between EuroLeague and ACB.UNRELATED He was putting his mark on the games and he became Maccabi's leading scorer in four EuroLeague matches that season.

His Breakout Year & Special Accomplishments

Then came the 2017-18 season and Doncic's real coming out. He will go down in history as the 18-year-old kid who led Real Madrid to their 10th EuroLeague Championship. In a total of 33 EuroLeague appearances, he averaged quite impressive figures of 16 points – including grand slams and buzzer beaters -, along with nearly five boards, close to four dimes per contest.

This incredible year by Doncic resulted in the first-team All-Rookie selection for, which is why he got a bunch of coveted awards including:

EuroLeague MVP
EuroLeague Final Four MVP
All-EuroLeague First Team
ACB MVP

Doncic was named the EuroLeague MVP at 18, becoming the youngest player ever to win that award (his talent as a teen playing against grown men is special).
International Success

Doncic also won internationally, as he helped lead Slovenia to the FIBA EuroBasket title. He made his name in the EuroBasket of 2017 at just 18 years old, leading Slovenia to a surprise gold medal alongside Goran Dragic.
Transition to the NBA

Doncic was only 19 when he declared for the 2018 NBA draft with an excellent season from Estudiantes and a standout year in Real Madrid. He was drafted as the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks but he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks, and from that day till now you can see how amazing this guy is.

Conclusion

Luka Dončić started playing professional basketball at 16 years old after emerging as a member of the senior Real Madrid team. But he began playing at a professional basketball level when he was just 13 years old by joining Real Madrid's youth academy. That early taste of professional basketball gave Doncic, who was among the most gifted and hardest-working players in Europe already at that time, a crash course on how to become one of the top young stars on this planet.

By the time he turned 18, Doncic was already one of the best players in Europe -- winning multiple MVPs and leading Real Madrid to a EuroLeague title. Indeed, his rise from a young wunderkind contingency to European basketball legend and NBA sensation is as much about talent & willpower1as it is a reflection of the power early