(Photo by Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
When it became known that Dirk Nowitzki would retire following the 2018-19 season, it looked like the Dallas Mavericks would be in for a long and painful rebuilding process.
But on draft day 2018, they traded Trae Young, who they took with the No. 5 pick, and their 2019 first-round draft pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Luka Doncic, the No. 3 pick in that year’s draft.
Doncic quickly became a superstar, and the Mavs remained relevant just like that.
On Monday, they will honor Slovenia Night when they host the Boston Celtics in order to pay tribute to their current superstar, per Bally Sports Southwest.
Slovenia Night for our guy #MFFL pic.twitter.com/sr3tyyqArv
— Bally Sports Southwest (@BallySportsSW) January 22, 2024
Doncic is originally from Slovenia, where he started to play pro basketball at the age of 16, and it is believed that playing against grown men as a teenager expedited his development.
After a promising rookie year in the NBA, he averaged 28.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, and 8.8 assists a game during the 2019-20 season, and he became a revelation.
So far this season, Doncic is putting up 33.6 points, 8.3 boards, and 9.2 dimes per game while shooting 48.5 percent from the field and a career-high 37.6 percent from 3-point range.
Dallas had a disastrous 2022-23 campaign in which they traded for Kyrie Irving yet missed the play-in tournament, but so far this year they’re 24-18 and in sixth place in the Western Conference.
At age 24, Doncic is still likely a couple of years away from entering his prime, giving the Mavs a bit of time to surround him and Irving with the missing pieces they need to seriously contend for an NBA championship.
The post Mavericks Are Preparing A Special Night For Luka Doncic appeared first on The Cold Wire.