The Dallas Mavericks have several good, if not great, NBA players, such as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Dereck Lively II, just to name a few. But this article will focus on Luka Doncic, who has been in the NBA since 2018. Doncic was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to the Mavericks in exchange for the draft rights to future Hawks star Trae Young and a protected first-round draft pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Before living and working in Dallas, Texas, Luka Doncic played Spanish basketball for Real Madrid in Madrid, Spain, from 2015 to 2018. Doncic initially signed a five-year contract with Real Madrid at age 13 and stood out on the under-16 team under head coach Paco Redondo. Read on to learn more about the Slovenian and Dallas Mavericks basketball star.
Dallas Mavericks Star’s Humble Beginnings
Born and raised in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Luka Doncic has made magic since he was a baby. Doncic reportedly touched a basketball when he was just seven months old. He played with a miniature hoop in his bedroom before he was one year old before playing basketball and football, which he later quit after growing too tall, in his childhood.
Speaking of his childhood, Luka Doncic was born to Sasa Doncic, a Slovenian basketball coach and former basketball player of Serbian descent, and Mirjam Poterbin, a Slovenian hairdresser, a former beauty queen who competed in Miss Slovenia 1993, and a former game show host on Wheel of Fortune, on February 28, 1999.
Without a doubt, Luka grew up in a famous family and apparently didn’t let his parents’ divorce in 2018 affect his professional and personal lives, respectively. He went on to make history for the Dallas Mavericks and the NBA in general. There’s an apparent reason why the Mavericks once called him their humble king after his extraordinary 73-point career-high performance on January 26, 2024, as he let his talent speak for itself.
Dallas Mavericks Star’s Promising NBA Career
Some of the NBA’s first-round draft picks failed to live up to the expectations, but this wasn’t the case with Luka Doncic, despite then-head coach Rick Carlisle’s initial doubt. Carlisle once told the media, “At one point, we thought there might be a slight chance Doncic could fall to us, but a couple of days ago, it was pretty clear that there was no way that was going to happen. He’s just too good. We get a guy we think is a franchise foundation piece.”
Drafted third overall in the 2018 NBA Draft, Doncic signed a four-year rookie contract worth $32,467,751. He’s a versatile basketball player who can play both point guard and shooting guard. He won Rookie of the Year and was unanimously selected to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018-19.
And, most recently, he finished in third place in the 2024 NBA MVP voting behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, who won his third NBA MVP in four seasons. He finished as high as he ever had in the NBA MVP voting, but he came up short. Hopefully, he’ll get his Dallas Mavericks moment in the near future.
A Look at Current Dallas Mavericks Star’s Personal Life
Luka Doncic does well for himself and the Dallas Mavericks. Doncic just needs an NBA championship and an NBA MVP award for his resume.
Doncic is a polyglot. He can impress the public with his skills in four languages (Slovenian, Serbian, Spanish, and English). He learned Spanish during his Real Madrid days. He signed a two-year deal with Nike in 2017, a multi-year endorsement deal with Air Jordan in 2019, and became a cover athlete for NBA 2K22 in 2021. His success extends past the basketball court.
Behind every great man is a great woman, and Doncic is no exception to the popular quote. Doncic’s fiancee, Anamaria Goltes, is a Slovenian model, fitness trainer, and social media influencer. Doncic and Goltes first met in Croatia when they were just 12 years old and began dating in 2016. The Slovenian couple became engaged on July 7, 2023, and welcomed a baby girl, Gabriela, on December 1, 2023.
Luka is blessed to have a family who loves him, helps him, and everything in between. His mother, Mirjam, moved to the United States after he was traded to the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 and even served as his manager for his off-court business affairs, while his father, Sasa, and his daughter, Tijana, have traveled to the U.S. to watch him play.
When they aren’t together, Sasa and Luka play an online game of dominoes as a part of Luka’s pregame ritual before suiting up for the Dallas Mavericks. Sasa once told D Magazine, “I have to admit Luka is better, but not by much … No refs — that’s why it’s good we play online.”
About the Author
Ana is an accomplished journalist with various credentials in writing, reporting, and broadcasting. With a diverse background and a bachelor’s degree in communications from San Jose State University, Ana can deliver the news in a timely manner and share her opinions with confidence. Her other articles can be found here.
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