Novak Djokovic shares his advice to NBA superstar Luka Doncic

World No. 1 Novak Djokovic reveals he absolutely enjoys watching Dallas Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic, who is an MVP candidate this season. 

"I think all the best about Luka as a basketball player and as a person, I have had direct contact with him for several years and we saw each other in Madrid while he played for Real. I am very happy for his success and I support him from the bottom of my heart - I follow him, I watch every game, I saw that in Game 5 he had problems with his left ankle," Djokovic exclusively told Sport Klub. 

The Mavericks were big underdogs in Game 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers since Doncic was dealing with a sore ankle and star forward Kristaps Porzingis was out due to an injury. 

But despite being far away from 100 percent healthy, Doncic delivered a historic performance as he scored 43 points, grabbed 17 rebounds and dished out 13 assists. 

Doncic also hit a game-winning step-back three-pointer to help the Mavericks beat the Clippers 135-133 in overtime and even the series at two games apiece. 

Doncic was again dealing with a sore ankle in Game 5 and this time the Clippers won to take a 3-2 lead in the series.

"The Clippers are a tough opponent, leading 3-2, but I hope that Luka will recover because what he did in Game 4 ... It even more firmly positioned him as one of the best basketball players of today, he definitely deserves that title," Djokovic said.

Djokovic impressed by Doncic and hopes more success will follow

"It is amazing that he has already had so much success at the age of 21. They were predicting a great career for him, and I think he has exceeded all those expectations. He still has a lot of time ahead of him, and so far he has done everything fantastically - he knows himself and his possibilities very well, he believes in himself and he is a true leader, even though he is so young. His experience at Real helped him transfer the role of leader in the NBA as well," Djokovic added.

"The only thing I could pass on to him in a friendly way and share with him is to be aware that he has a long career ahead of him. When we are young, sometimes we want everything to happen to us immediately, but some things take time. That is why I wish him patience because he has everything else - quality, physical fitness and champion mentality. He needs to find a balance in order to last a long time and make us all happy with his successes."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/31CRnm2