Everyone who follows basketball is familiar with Dallas Mavericks star Luka Dončić. Dončić has quickly developed into one of the top players in the league and has become a fan favorite. There’s also another basketball star named Luka, but he’s not in the NBA.

Luka Garza plays college basketball for Iowa and is one of the top players in the country. Pretty soon, there will be two Luka’s in the NBA.

Luka Dončić will have a remarkable basketball career

Luka Dončić wasted no time making an impact when he entered the league in 2018. In his first year with the Dallas Mavericks, the talented star made a name for himself. He displayed his ability to pass, score, and dribble. Dončić became the youngest player in NBA history to record three triple-doubles. He finished his rookie season with eight triple-doubles, which ranked fourth in the league. As a rookie, he averaged 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and six assists per game and was named the Rookie of the Year.

In year two, Dončić continued to play at a high level. Through 61 games during the regular season, he averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists. He also was named to his first All-Star team as well. Dončić made his playoff debut in his second season, and he stepped up to the challenge. The Mavericks went into the playoffs as the No. 7 seed and took on the LA Clippers. In his first playoff game, he scored 42 points, which was the most scored by any player during their playoff debut.

He had a playoff performance to remember. In Game 3 he made history again as he scored 43 points and finished with a triple-double. The next game, he was the hero as he hit the game-winning shot in overtime to tie the series up. The Mavericks lost to the Clippers in six games, but Dončić had an impressive performance. He averaged 31 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 8.7 assists during the playoffs. After two seasons, he has become a superstar in the league.

Who is Luka Garza?

Let’s get to know the other Luka. Luka Garza is currently in his senior year at Iowa. During his college career, he has developed into a dominant big man and a potential lottery pick. In his first season at Iowa, he averaged 12.1 points and 6.4 rebounds. During his sophomore season, he dealt with a few injuries, but he saw his points average increase as he averaged 13.1 points. 

Garza’s junior season was a breakout year for him. The talented center scored 44 points against Michigan, which was third-most in Iowa history. He finished his junior season, averaging 23.9 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks. Garza was named the Big Ten Player of the Year after an impressive season. He also won the Pete Newell Big Man Award and the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Award while being named a consensus first-team All-American. 

The two Luka’s can play some basketball

Luka Garza started his senior season off strong. On Nov. 27, 2020, he scored a Carver–Hawkeye Arena-record 41 points while having 36 points in the first half as Iowa defeated Southern 103-76. Garza is setting himself up to have a memorable senior year for Iowa, and he will be in the running for the John R. Wooden Award.

The other Luka, Luka Dončić, will enter his third year in the league, and he will continue to make an impact on the league. For there to be two basketball players with Luka as their first name isn’t something you see every day. The fact that they’re two standout players is even better too.