Luka Doncic became the latest NBA superstar to sign a megabucks deal this offseason, with the Dallas Mavericks forward agreeing to a landmark five-year supermax rookie extension worth a whopping $207 million.
Doncic made history with the deal as he became the first player in the league to be eligible for the designated rookie max extension because he has twice been voted to the All-NBA first team at the time of his signing. Bill Duffy, Doncic's agent at BDA Sports, confirmed the monster contract to ESPN, including a player option in the final year.
Owner Mark Cuban heads to Slovenia to present contract to Doncic
The Dallas Mavericks left no stones unturned to seal the deal with their franchise player, as a contingent of the team's leaders has flown to Slovenia on Monday to present the contract to Doncic and Duffy formally.
Among the top brass who went to Ljubljana to unveil the contract were Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, newly installed general manager Nico Harrison and head coach Jason Kidd. Joining them were the assistant general manager and former Mavs player Michael Finley, special adviser and club legend Dirk Nowitzki and Casey Smith, the director of player health and performance.
Doncic released a statement to ESPN following the contract agreement, saying it "is a dream come true." He said the game of basketball gave him so much and that he is "humbled and excited to remain in Dallas as part of the Mavericks."
Doncic said that he is committed to the organization and appreciated the support of the Dallas fanbase. According to the Mavs superstar, the huge contract will further help grow the Luka Doncic Foundation, an international non-profit organization that gives back to places special to Doncic like his home country of Slovenia and the communities in North Texas.
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Doncic lands huge contract after heartbreaking summer in NBA and Olympics
The mammoth deal will help erase the sting of defeats that Doncic has experienced in recent months in the NBA and the Olympics. He led the Mavericks to the first round of the playoffs this past season but fell to the Los Angeles Clippers in seven games.
Doncic tried his best to send Dallas to the second round of the postseason for the first time in his career, posting five 40-point performances in the series. He laid it all out in the series decider, scoring 46 points and grabbing 14 rebounds in the Game 7 loss to the Clippers.
Doncic did not have time to dwell on that loss as he donned the national team colors for Slovenia in their bid to win a maiden Olympic medal. Doncic and co. qualified for the Olympics after stunning Lithuania in Kaunas in the qualifiers.
They then exceeded expectations in Tokyo, reaching the semifinals in their first Olympic appearance in men's basketball. Doncic was 17-0 at that time when he played for the national team but suffered heart-breaking losses to France in the semis and Australia in the bronze medal match to end Slovenia's campaign on a sad note.
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