Luka Dončić
From the Set Hardwood Greats: Pro Basketball’s Best Players
Luka Dončić stepped into the NBA as a teenager in 2018 and immediately began turning heads with his brilliant playmaking. As the third overall pick in the NBA Draft, the Slovenian star averaged more than 21 points in his first season with the Dallas Mavericks on the way to winning Rookie of the Year honors. Possessing a lethal all-around game, Dončić has been named to the All-NBA First Team four times and started in four All-Star Games. In addition, he signed a $207 million contract extension in the summer of 2021, so fans will be able to enjoy his excellence for years to come. Each book in the Hardwood Greats: Pro Basketball's Best Players continuing series gives the reader a close-up look at some of the very best of today's NBA stars. The statistical leaders and championship winners go under the spotlight in a fun-to-read and visually interesting examination of each player's outstanding career.
Hardwood Greats: Pro Basketball’s Best Players - School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up –These biographies of the NBA’s biggest current stars will give report writers much to appreciate. Each book outlines its player’s upbringing, early career, draft selection into professional basketball, and greatest career moments thus far. To illustrate their superiority over their competitors, statistics and comparison charts are interspersed throughout chapters, giving the books a fair balance of narrative and stats. Neither LeBron James nor Giannis Antetokounmpo played at the collegiate level before being drafted into the NBA; readers will see why, as they’re two of the most explosive stars of their time. The players’ notable quotes are broken down by their originality (as opposed to being pure clichés), and explainers add context to the sound bites. The charitable work of the players is discussed, as are the controversies. QR codes throughout link readers to videos, bringing big plays to life. Text-dependent questions and further research suggestions add a layer of comprehension. While not page-turners, these books are solidly written research fodder.
VERDICT Fair basketball biographies that will likely circulate with regularity.