Kristian Winfield: For one night, NBA star Luka Doncic became a New Yorker

Yahoo

21 hours ago

NEW YORK — The sun is down, the streets are packed — and Luka Doncic is outside.
It's dusk at Dyckman Park, where Jordan Brand is hosting The One, a summer basketball showcase celebrating the next generation of New York City's athletes. Every player on the court is rocking Doncic's signature shoe — the Luka .77 'NY vs. NY,' a clean split-color sneaker in University Blue and Red Orbit. The bleachers are overflowing. A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Dave East and Complex's Speedy Morman steal the early buzz. Rutgers guard and San Antonio Spurs No. 2 overall pick Dylan Harper drops by his old stomping grounds.
But then Luka steps onto the blacktop.
The crowd swallows the court. The Slovenian superstar commands a presence that can only be described as magnetic, the kind of star power that makes you wonder: could No. 77 ever bring Luka Magic to Madison Square Garden?
The thought feels far-fetched. Doncic is now a Los Angeles Laker — traded away from the Mavericks in a blockbuster for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a future first-round pick — and when the Lakers land stars, they don't let them go. Kobe Bryant. Magic Johnson. Jerry West. Elgin Baylor. James Worthy. George Mikan. It's a legacy.
But Doncic is also on an expiring deal, and a four-year, $229 million decision looms. Many around the league expect him to sign the extension after his Jordan Brand summer tour. Knicks fans, though, don't deal in assumptions. They see LeBron James' latest cryptic comments about his future in Los Angeles after opting into his $53 million player option. They see a Lakers roster that doesn't look like a true contender in the West. And on this night, they see Doncic — comfortable, even at home — in the middle of Washington Heights, soaking up the energy like he's one of the city's own.
Doncic could very well finish his career as a Laker. But on this night? Luka Magic is a New Yorker. And the neighborhood embraced him like family.
The first observation from the crowd? 'That boy been in the gym!' one fan hollered.
Indeed, Doncic looked different. Slimmer. Sharper. Lean-faced and locked in, he's dismantling every 'out of shape' critique that shadowed him last season. He's averaged 27 or more points in every season since his rookie year — but now, to the league's chagrin, Doncic has abs, and with them, presumably a better motor.
Could this be an MVP-type season for The Wonder Boy? LeBron will turn 41 in late December. Deandre Ayton is the Lakers' third-best player. If Los Angeles has any hope of chasing a title, it will rest squarely on Doncic's shoulders — broad but unburdened — and now, his un-bigged back.
Doncic is a five-time All-Star, a scoring champ, a conference finals MVP and a nightly triple-double threat. He's an international basketball icon with a game built for the brightest stages. And on this night, he was in the trenches.
On this night — if only for a night — Luka Doncic became a New Yorker.
What Doncic witnessed
Doncic arrived at Dyckman at 8:11 p.m., making his grand entrance just after the first game ended, and didn't leave until 90 minutes later — an eternity for a superstar in a setting this intimate. He shot casually on the blacktop, hitting one from the sideline while seated courtside like he was warming up for a game at The Garden. He dapped up the winners of the second NY vs. NY matchup and stayed glued to the 3-point line as a spectator for The Ones: two one-on-one showdowns that had the park buzzing.
The girls' matchup went down to the wire before Olivia Jones stormed back to take the win. Then Denim Troutman opened the boys' game with a humiliating 15-0 run and never looked back, showing no mercy to his own high school teammate.
High school headliner
Before Doncic's arrival, one player owned the Dyckman stage. Cardinal Hayes guard Kaelen Destin put on a scoring clinic in the high school showcase. A pure bucket at 6-2, Destin dropped 21 points and four assists in just eight-minute quarters, earning a scholarship offer from West Virginia mid-game to his growing list (Drexel, Northern Illinois, FIU, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M).
Nicknamed Kae Deuce, Destin carries a Darius Garland-type vibe: smooth handle, effortless shot-making and a knack for filling it up. But Garland's playmaking is what elevated him from a talented scorer to a star. That's Destin's challenge moving forward. Because there's a big difference between special on the blacktop and special at the next level.
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