The Wonder Boy - by Tim Macmahon (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

ESPN's Tim MacMahon goes behind the scenes of Luka Dončic's years with the Dallas Mavericks--before his trade to the Lakers stunned the basketball world--telling the story of a franchise's quest to build a championship team around a prodigy.

In 2018, the Dallas Mavericks landed the most hyped prospect in basketball history--teenaged Luka Doncic. With The Wonder Boy, MacMahon takes us beyond the highlights to the madness that ensues as the Mavericks try to avoid blowing their golden opportunity. From the internal power struggles in owner Mark Cuban's front office during the early years of Doncic's career, to the new regime's effort to earn Doncic's loyalty and put the ruthless competitor in position to win, readers will learn never-before-reported details about the saga's biggest moments, including:

-The blockbuster deal for Kristaps Porzingis that blew up in the Mavs' faces
-The divorces with coach Rick Carlisle and GM Donnie Nelson
-Jalen Brunson's exit after a run to the Western Conference finals
-The new pairing with the mercurial Kyrie Irving
-The improbable journey to the 2024 Finals

The Wonder Boy pulls back the curtain on on the Mavs' quest to win it all with their irreplaceable young star, a dilemma every NBA team would love to have.

Review Quotes

"The Wonder Boy is as dynamic and entertaining as Dončic on a fastbreak. Mesmerizing and meticulously reported, MacMahon illuminates the darker sides of the NBA in navigating the future of one of its brightest prodigies: the pressure and ever-ticking clock to succeed at all costs."
--Mirin Fader, New York Times bestselling author of Giannis and Dream

"From on-the-ground reporting in Luka Dončic s native Slovenia, through one of the most prolific teenage careers the game has ever seen to the behind-the-scenes details of his fascinating climb to the NBA Finals with the Dallas Mavericks, Tim MacMahon has assembled the definitive volume of an already enriching basketball life. You don't know Luka until you've read this story."
--Brian Windhorst, New York Times bestselling author and host of The Hoop Collective

"From Doncic's childhood through the Mavericks run to the 2024 NBA Finals, MacMahon unearths fascinating new details about Doncic's unlikely path to Dallas and the challenges of building around a generational superstar. This is a true insider account--a must-have for any basketball fan."
--Zach Lowe, NBA analyst and host of the "Lowe Post" podcast

"In a league built on star power, Luka Dončic has established himself as a force -- growing the game internationally but letting his game do the talking -- until now. MacMahon gives fans an intimate look at Dončic and what makes a Wonder Boy tick."
--Malika Andrews, host of ESPN's NBA Today and NBA Countdown

"NBA fans will want to add this to their shelf."--Publishers Weekly

"Tim is so plugged into Dončic's psyche and the Mavs organization throughout the book, exposing both the beauty and the chaotic ugliness that surrounds NBA superstars and their teams. It's ripe with the kind of storytelling you dream of reading about a player who could dominate the league for the next decade, if not more."--Chris Herring, Senior Writer for ESPN, and New York Times bestselling author of Blood in the Garden The Flagrant History of the 1990s New York Knicks

About the Author

Tim MacMahon reports on the NBA for ESPN. A native of Dallas, he's followed the Mavs for decades and currently covers the team.