With the way information (and misinformation) spreads on social media these days, Luka Doncic might wake up thinking he has a brother he doesn’t know.
The Mavericks superstar has become one of the most popular players in the NBA for his flashy playmaking ability and prolific scoring. Over the past few days, a Doncic lookalike has been making the rounds on social media after attending the NBA All-Star weekend’s “Basketball Without Borders” international prospect camp.
The player’s size, looks and playing style earned him the nickname “Nuka Doncic,” but who was it that convinced the internet that he was the rookie of the Luka brothers? “Sports News” conducted the following analysis.
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Nuka Doncic Video
The parody account @TheNBACentel shared a video of basketball player Nuka Doncic on X (formerly known as Twitter) and claimed that he was the brother of Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
Luka Doncic’s younger brother Nuka Doncic is a HOOPER 👀🔥pic.twitter.com/ZLUXCaiNYO
— NBACentrel (@TheNBACentrel) February 29, 2024
The clip originally came from a video posted by Swish Cultures titled “18-Year-Old Neoklis Avdalas Acts Exactly Like Luka Doncic.” As Swish Cultures points out, Doncic and Avdalas are both excellent point guards and even have similar tattoos on their left wrists.
“Greek Luka” can be seen imitating some of Doncic’s signature moves in the video below from Swish Culture. He buried Luka’s hanging dribble pull-up three-pointer, passed no-look and behind-the-back passes, and showed the same level of body control on the break to finish a Euro-step shot in the penalty area.
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Who is Nuka Doncic?
“Nuka Doncic” is an 18-year-old Greek NBA player named Neoklis Avdalas. According to the Swish Cultures video above, he prefers the nickname “Neo” to “Lucca the Grecian.”
Avdalas rose to fame during the NBA All-Star Weekend “Basketball Without Borders” event in Indianapolis. The annual showcase event attracts future professional players such as G League Ignite star Matas Buzelis, Wizards forward Deni Avdija, Raptors forward RJ Barrett and former veteran forward Nikola Mirotic, among others.
Avdalas is a big guard ranked 6-7. He will be eligible for the NBA Draft in 2025, but in 2022 he signed a five-year contract with Greek powerhouse Euroleague side Panathinaikos.
Avdalas is currently on loan from Panathinaikos to Kardisas of the Greek Basketball League for the 2023-24 season. He’s averaging 2.7 points and 2.1 rebounds in 11.5 minutes in 15 games so far.
Does Luka Doncic have a brother?
No, Doncic doesn’t have a brother. It is said that he has a half-sister, Tijana, who was born to Luca’s father, Sasa.