Luka Dončić put on a show in the Mavericks’ loss to the Timberwolves on Thursday, scoring 39 points with 13 assists and six rebounds. His most impressive play of the night came before the opening tip, though.
During warmups, Dončić connected with big man Dwight Powell on a perfect alley-oop—except Dončić’s lob was far from a typical pass. He dropped the ball behind him and kicked it behind his back right into Powell’s hands as he flew toward the rim.
It was a ridiculously challenging move, but Dončić made it seem routine.
Luka Dončić can pass with his feet too…
— Landon Thomas (@sixfivelando) December 15, 2023
He just did a behind-the-back kick alley-oop pass to Dwight Powell in warmups… ???? pic.twitter.com/lgoGXyk1Yb
Dončić briefly played soccer while growing up in Slovenia but ultimately abandoned the sport to focus on basketball full time. By many accounts, he was a decent player. In 2019, Bleacher Report spoke to several pros who vouched for Dončić’s skills on the pitch, and there are a bunch of video clips online of him messing around by kicking a basketball.
His alley-oop to Powell was something special, though. If the NBA added a trick pass competition to All-Star Weekend, Dončić would have to be the favorite to win it.
