Luka Doncic, a one-of-a-kind player, can be found in every gym in America. If you have ever played pickup ball, you know Luka, or at least his ilk. He’s the guy who’s a little out of shape, a little plodding, a little sloppy … but gets where he needs to go and does whatever he wants to do.

You hate this guy.

Really hate him.

Everybody else arrives at the gym early, to stretch (at least half-heartedly) and get some shots up, while doing the requisite pre-pickup ball-busting. Then Luka Lite waddles into the place right before you’re ready to start, looking like he’s just rolled out of bed. His shorts are tattered. The laces of his hightops are still undone. His hair is mussed. His last shower might have taken place this decade, or maybe not. His breath smells of Rolling Rock and Cheetos.

And then he eats everybody’s lunch. Just wears ‘em out. Give him room, and he’ll nail the J. Crowd him, and he’ll roll right around you – emphasis on the word “roll.” His girth is such that you can’t interrupt his dribble, can’t bother his shot, can’t do much of anything.

Other than the hygienic and Rolling Rock/Cheetos stuff, this is pretty much how things looked in the Western Conference finals. The Real Luka shredded the Minnesota Timberwolves’ NBA-leading defense. Made one big shot after another. Found teammates for easy opportunities. Didn’t matter if Chris Finch’s guys singled him, doubled him or Joe Fraziered him; Luka made his appointed rounds. And as an added bonus he provided constant narration. Yapped at Rudy Gobert when he rainbowed home a 3-pointer to win Game 2. Yapped at Snoop Dogg, for goodness sake, as the Mavs were wrapping up the series in Game 5.

Now Luka gets Boston in the Finals, beginning Thursday. Given the good-natured, understated demeanor of that fan base, how much fun is that going to be? Luka, who clearly relishes being the equivalent of a pro wrestling heel, is gonna go next level with all those wicked pissahs, know what I mean, kid?

Couple that with the presence of his sidekick, Kyrie Irving – a guy who quickly wore out his welcome in Boston five years ago – and you’re going to have a very, very charged atmosphere. One reminiscent of the 1980s, when everybody didn’t have the same agent or play on the same AAU team coming up. When there was real animosity on the court, and some of the fouls were, like, Flagrant 12s.

Sure, Boston has been the league’s best team all year. Sure, the Celtics have a bunch of great perimeter defenders. Jrue Holiday. Derrick White. Jaylen Brown. Even, to some degree, Jayson Tatum. But Dallas has a shot at this. Luka has been that good. And in a stunning development, Irving has fully embraced his second-fiddle role. What were the odds of that, after he burned bridges not only in Boston but Cleveland beforehand and Brooklyn afterward? I mean, who doesn’t wanna play with LeBron James? Or Kevin Durant? Or Tatum and Brown? (I get the James Harden part, but still …)

Luka will again do his thing, again make everyone around him better. Look at all those pinpoint alley-oops to Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II; Lively was 16-for-16 from the floor in the Minny series, while shooting downward most of the time. Look at all the times Doncic pitched the ball to P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. for open 3s. (Granted, they didn’t always make ‘em, but Luka consistently made the right reads.)

Boston should win. But Luka could pull this off. And if he does, Rolling Rock and Cheetos all around.