Luka Doncic returned to Spain to a heat reception from former membership Real Madrid in a preseason recreation with the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday, receiving a standing ovation by the house followers and being honored by his former teammates.
The “Luuukaaa” chants have been again within the Spanish capital 5 years after the star guard left for the NBA, and the Slovenian seemed moved whereas watching his previous highlights on the massive display earlier than the sport.
Doncic, who was not absolutely match, performed lower than 5 minutes and scored 9 factors in Dallas’ 127-123 loss towards his former membership. Tim Hardaway Jr. led all scorers with 21 factors for the Mavs, which additionally misplaced its two preseason video games towards the Minnesota Timberwolves final week in Abu Dhabi.
“I was waiting for this game all summer,” Doncic mentioned. “With the exception of not being able to play more, it was all very special. The whole day was very special.”
Doncic mentioned he couldn’t play extra minutes as a result of he was bothered by some hip ache he began feeling in coaching on Monday.
Facundo Campazzo, who was signed and waived by Dallas final 12 months, led Madrid’s late rally and completed with 20 factors for the hosts. Doncic’s former teammate Sergio Llull and Vincent Poirier scored 19 factors every for the Spanish membership. Doncic went 3 for six with one help, scoring all of his factors with 3-pointers.
The Doncic jerseys have been in all places on the Wizink Center area — the blue ones with the No. 77 that he wears now with the Mavericks, and the white ones with the No. 7 he used to put on with the membership he joined as a younger teenager.
“I don’t know what to say. It’s a special day for me,” Doncic informed the gang in Spanish earlier than the sport. “I’ve seen my former teammates and people I had been with many years ago. Thank you all.”
Doncic obtained an award by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez as an honorary member of the membership, and was given a reproduction of one of many trophies he received with Madrid. He held the reproduction at midcourt alongside a few of his former teammates and present Madrid gamers.
“Luka deserves all of this and a lot more,” Campazzo mentioned.
“Luka is back,” and “Real Madrid will always be your home,” learn among the indicators displayed by Madrid followers, a lot of which received autographs from the previous star.
A crowd of almost 13,000 packed the Wizink Center to see their former idol, usually chanting his identify in hopes of seeing him return into the sport.
Doncic saluted the gang and chatted along with his former teammates from the bench, at occasions joking and laughing with them. He additionally greeted a few of Real Madrid’s soccer gamers available, together with midfielder Toni Kroos and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois.
A four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member, Doncic was 13 when he joined Real Madrid and went on to grow to be the youngest EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP when he led the membership to the 2018 title at age 19.
Doncic mentioned he wish to play once more for Real Madrid in some unspecified time in the future in his profession.
“If I do come back, it would be to play for Madrid, for sure,” he mentioned.
It was the primary preseason NBA recreation within the Spanish capital since 2016, when Doncic and Real Madrid hosted — and beat — the Oklahoma City Thunder. He additionally performed for Madrid towards the Boston Celtics the 12 months earlier than.
The recreation was the NBA’s eighth within the Spanish capital and twentieth in Spain, coming 35 years after an NBA crew first performed within the nation in 1988.
