The Wonder Boy, Tim MacMahon
The Wonder Boy, Tim MacMahon
List: $27.99 | Sale: $19.59
Club: $13.99

The Wonder Boy
Luka Doncic and the Curse of Greatness

Author: Tim MacMahon

Narrator: Tim MacMahon, Charles Constant

Unabridged: 11 hr 31 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/18/2025


Synopsis

ESPN’s Tim MacMahon goes behind the scenes of Luka Dončić’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

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

Reviews

Goodreads review by Brendan on March 14, 2025

I enjoyed "The Wonder Boy: Luka Dončić and The Curse of Greatness" by Tim MacMahon. It's a well-written and deeply reported account of Dončić's career at the Dallas Mavericks which benefits from MacMahon's detailed knowledge of the team and the various characters. The book was finished prior to the s......more

Goodreads review by Lauren | Wordsbetweenlines on March 16, 2025

I had really high hopes for this book and wanted to know all about Luca. But it was dry. It was very analytical and about stats and didn’t get into Luca as a person. I still can’t tell you who he is or what he’s about. Other than he is good at basketball. I can tell you that some games he scored a l......more

Goodreads review by Stefan on March 15, 2025

Can’t decide if this is a 3* or 4*. There’s some good stuff in here, but after getting drafted, not much of it is about Dončić… The Mavs seem quite dysfunctional behind the scenes. I’m also not really sure what I’m meant to make of Luka after reading this. Will have to ponder before posting full rev......more

Goodreads review by RICK "SHAQ" on April 09, 2025

RICK “SHAQ” GOLDSTEIN SAYS: “WELL, WHEN YOU GOT A GUY LIKE LUKA, HE’S GOING TO WIN CHAMPIONSHIPS,” NICO HARRISON (DALLAS MAVERICKS EXECUTIVE) SAID EARLY IN HIS TENURE. “SO HOPEFULLY, HE WINS THEM IN DALLAS AND I’M A PART OF IT.” **************************** PAGE 170 **************************** !!!!!!......more

Goodreads review by Daryl on March 14, 2025

I’ve been a sports fan for most of my life. I’ve followed the Detroit professional teams for most of my life, along with a couple of college/university football and basketball teams. I love the NCAA Division 1 basketball tournament. Admittedly, I’m not as big a fan as I used to be especially profess......more


Quotes

"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