Mavs Planning Real Madrid Exhibition Game for Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic could play an NBA preseason game in Europe in 2023, as Mark Cuban revealed to reporters.

The Dallas Mavericks have long sought to make a preseason game happen that ties in the international popularity of Luka Doncic in a location relevant to his basketball journey. The main options would be an NBA match in his native Slovenia or an exhibition game against Real Madrid. 

Mavs owner Mark Cuban revealed on Wednesday that an exhibition match against Real Madrid during the 2023 preseason is in the works. It would require an agreement on logistics for both teams and the NBA.

“I don’t know that we’ll be able to play a preseason game in Slovenia, but we’re working really hard to play one against Real Madrid,” Cuban said. “It depends on the league, so we’ll see. But we’re certainly working on it.”

Doncic joined Real Madrid at age 13 and made his debut with the seniors on Apr. 30, 2015, which made him the youngest player to debut in their history. He appeared in 216 games with Real Madrid and contributed toward seven titles before his tenure ended due to declaring for the 2018 NBA Draft. 

Doncic became an impressive EuroLeague standout and was the league's best player by age 19. He led Real Madrid to a tenth Euro Cup title in Belgrade during the 2017-18 season while also earning MVP of the EuroLeague, MVP of the Final Four, and was honored as one of the best five players in the competition. 

Playing international contests simply hasn't been an option until this preseason due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It has changed this preseason with matchups in international destinations, including Canada, Mexico, Japan, and Dubai.

It would be an intriguing opportunity for the NBA to facilitate a game for Doncic to play in front of the European market. Having it be a matchup against Real Madrid would only add to the excitement.