LOS ANGELES – With the final seconds of the first half ticking down, Luka Doncic caught a pass from Los Angeles Lakers teammate Jake LaRavia, squared up with the basket, and calmly knocked down a 3-point shot to increase the Lakers’ lead over the Golden State Warriors to 14, 66-52. It wasn’t just any old 3-point shot, however, it was a halfcourt shot that Doncic nailed, off the glass no less.
The halfcourt shot came just seconds after Luka Doncic hit a free-throw stemming from a technical foul called on Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg for his chirping towards the six-time All-Star. Following the game, Doncic admitted to reporters that he knew he was firing up that shot even before the ball touched his hands.
Part of that was because of being fired up from Lendeborg’s chatter, and part of that was because it’s become one of his favorite shots to take. Going back to his days with the Dallas Mavericks, when he was briefly teammates with Lakers head coach JJ Redick, was when Doncic first began his halfcourt bomb proficiency. Redick was there to witness it, the result of a playful fine system that’s carried over to the Lakers now.
“You guys all record his pregame shooting so you know that he loves halfcourt shots,” Redick told reporters during his postgame press conference. “We have a silly fine system It’s you’re a minute late to film, you’re two minutes late to the bus, $500 of your personal cash goes in that pot. We shoot for it every shootaround and I think by far, Luka has won the most. I know last year, he’s yet to win it this year.”
Last season, Doncic did not attempt any shots that were considered halfcourt attempts. During his first season with the Lakers, a season he also split with the Mavericks, he was 0-of-2 on halfcourt bombs. This season, he’s started out 1-of-1. During his pregame warmups, he ends his workout by shooting from halfcourt. At Lakers’ practice, he does the same thing.
During one media session back during the beginning of training camp, Austin Reaves had to pause from answering a reporter’s question to marvel in awe at Doncic burying about five halfcourt shots in a row. And he doesn’t shoot them like many players do, as a heave, he actually sets his feet and shoots like a proper jump shot. It’s why Redick feels like each one is going in.
Article Continues Below“When he shoots a halfcourt shot, especially when he’s set like that, there’s no defender in front of him, you almost expect it to go in,” Redick continued. “I know for me, even when I was his teammate with the Mavs, I lost a lot of money to him.”
Following Lakers’ practice on Oct. 19, Doncic mentioned that in his own personal stat book, five is the number for most consecutive halfcourt shots he’s hit when practicing. And humor aside, Doncic couldn’t wait to get back on the court for his first meaningful game after being sidelined for the end of the regular season last year and the entirety of the playoffs due to a hamstring injury.
“I couldn’t wait for this day to come. Obviously preseason is a different thing,” Doncic said. “You play games, but obviously when the regular season starts, it’s a lot of fun. And I’m just happy to be back on the court playing.”