“I always wanted to sign this.”
Those were among Luka Doncic’s first words after signing a five-year contract extension with the Dallas Mavericks worth 207 million.
“It’s a really special moment here. Thank you to Dallas for offering me this,” Doncic said. “I still kind of don’t know what to say because I never imagined this happening. I was only dreaming to only play in the NBA, but now I can sign an extension with the Dallas Mavericks for five more years, which I never had a doubt about.
Doncic, who is only 22, has become one of the premier players in the NBA, with his scintillating passes, jaw-dropping 3-pointers, and bevy of clutch time performances making him one of the most popular players in the league.
His contract is just as unique as he is; this deal is the largest rookie extension in history, as Doncic was already able to get a designated max since he has been nominated twice to the All-NBA first team.
Most recently, Doncic excelled in the Olympics, leading his home country of Slovenia to the bronze medal match against Australia. Doncic and Slovenia had gone on a historic tear with him at the helm, winning their first 17 games.
In a thirty-minute press conference after the signing, Doncic answered questions from the media about his contract. One member asked him what he planned to spend it on.
“Yeah, it’s a great sum, but I’m not still not thinking about this,” he said. “I haven’t bought myself anything worthwhile yet from this. But I need to process it more before I start spending.”
