CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Before his first season in the NBA, a Dallas Mavericks teammate presented Luka Doncic with a Hello Kitty backpack. It wasn’t exactly a present to celebrate his arrival after being drafted third overall. The little kid’s bag was cute — with hearts all over — and young players such as Doncic are expected to be embarrassed by those sorts of things.
The trouble is, backpacks are for rookies. And Doncic isn’t your typical first-year player.
“He seems like he’s been in the league for seven or eight years,” Wizards Coach Scott Brooks said, echoing the thoughts of many around the league.