MADRID (AP) — Luka Doncic will return to where he started — at least for one game.
The NBA announced Wednesday that Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks will play a preseason matchup in October against EuroLeague champion Real Madrid in Spain. This will be the eighth NBA game in Madrid and the 20th in Spain and will take place on the 35th anniversary of the first NBA game in that country in 1988.
A four-time All-Star and first-team All-NBA selection, Doncic was 13 when he joined Real Madrid and became the youngest player to be named EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP when the team won the title in 2018 at the age of 19.
Real Madrid features Spanish legend and former NBA player Sergio Llull, as well as former NBA players Rudy Fernández, Mario Hezonja, Džanan Musa, and Sergio Rodríguez. It is the team that has won the EuroLeague the most times with 11 championships.
Luka Doncic is going back to where he got his start — for one game.
This is the first NBA preseason matchup in Madrid since 2016 when Doncic, still a Real Madrid player, faced the Oklahoma City Thunder. Before the duel against the Madrid team, the Mavericks will play two exhibition games against the Minnesota Timberwolves on October 5 and 7 as part of The NBA Abu Dhabi Games 2023.
“Bringing the live NBA experience directly to our passionate international fans is an important part of year-round efforts to grow basketball and the NBA around the world,” said NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum in a statement. “We are excited for the Mavericks to take on Real Madrid and look forward to captivating fans in Spain and across Europe with this historic matchup.”
Real Madrid ambassador Felipe Reyes admitted that facing an NBA team “is always special”, but it will be even more so with “Real Madrid legend” Doncic at home.
The Boston Celtics were the first NBA team to play in Spain against the Yugoslavia team in 1988.
2023-08-30 17:58:44
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