By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
It is close to five years since Luka Doncic last played a game as a player for Real Madrid. A reunion would be a must-watch, even with him on the opposite end of the court.
The Dallas Mavericks are likely to travel to the United Arab Emirates to face Real Madrid and one more team in the 2023 NBA Preseason, Marc Stein reported on the league’s plans regarding the Middle East.
Dating back to 2018 and the Slovenian sensation gearing up for his rookie NBA season, the previous overseas preseason fixtures sent the Mavs to China. In the 2018 NBA Preseason, they went to a doubleheader opposite the Philadelphia 76ers in Shanghai and Shenzhen. Five years later, a new set of NBA Global Games may follow.
Coming out of Madrid as the 2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season and Final Four MVP, he also became a EuroLeague champion. Drafted by the Mavericks with the third overall pick of the 2018 NBA draft, behind Deandre Ayton and Marvin Bagley III, Doncic proved himself a franchise player, getting three All-Star Game nods and being named in the All-NBA First Team across the last three seasons, following the 2019 NBA Rookie of the Year award naturally paired with a spot in the corresponding All-Rookie First team.
Further upping his stats, Doncic has produced 34.2 points, 8.9 assists, 8.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game so far in the 2022-23 NBA Regular Season. A massive contribution to the current W-L tally of 21-16, his side sits fourth in the standings of the Western Conference.
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