Last night, Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks had a preseason friendly match with Real Madrid Basket, the club he was associated with from the age of 13 until his move to the NBA.

The Slovenian point guard received a warm welcome as he returned to his former home. Approximately 13,000 Madrid fans were present at the arena to watch Doncic face his former team.

Before the game began, the club’s president, Florentino Perez, personally came down to the court to present Doncic with an honorary membership badge of Real Madrid.

“I don’t know what else to say; today is an incredibly special day. I’ve been looking forward to this game all summer,” Doncic expressed. “I got to reunite with old teammates and faces I’ve been close to for many years. Thank you for everything!”

Several players from the Real Madrid men’s football team, including Toni Kroos, Lucas Vazquez, Thibaut Courtois, David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Brahim Diaz, were also present at the Wizink Arena to watch the match.

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Due to not being in the best physical condition after a recent hip injury, the 1999-born player was only able to play for about 5 minutes and scored 9 points. In the end, the Dallas Mavericks lost to Real Madrid Basket with a score of 123 – 127.

This was the first time a preseason NBA friendly match was held in Madrid since 2016 when Doncic and Real Madrid Basket defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder.