Luka Doncic, who played for Real Madrid Basket from the age of 13 until joining the NBA, and the Dallas Mavericks played a preseason friendly last night.

Upon his return to his former residence, the Slovenian point guard was greeted with open arms. There were about 13,000 Madrid supporters in the arena to watch Doncic play his old team.

Florentino Perez, the club president, personally visited Doncic on the court prior to the start of the match to give him an honorary Real Madrid membership badge.

“Today is indeed a unique day; I am at a loss for words. All summer long, I’ve been anticipating this game,” Doncic said. “I got to see faces and former comrades that I’ve known for a long time. I’m grateful for everything.

Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez, Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Brahim Diaz were among the Real Madrid men’s football players who attended the game at the Wizink Arena.

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The player, who was born in 1999, was only able to play for approximately five minutes and score nine points because of his poor physical condition following a recent hip injury. The Dallas Mavericks ultimately fell short against Real Madrid Basket, 123–127. 

This was the first NBA preseason friendly played in Madrid since Real Madrid Basket and Nikola Jokić upset the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016..