Dallas Mavericks rookie guard Sergio De Larrea grew up in Valencia, Spain, rooting for the Mavericks because of one player—current Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic.
Selected 25th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, De Larrea told reporters this week that Doncic’s rapid rise with Real Madrid and subsequent move to the NBA made a lasting impression on him as a teenager.
“I saw Luka when he came from Madrid to here, and he was, for me, my idol in my young era,” De Larrea said, according to Kevin Gray of DLLS Mavs. “For that reason, I was a Maverick a long time ago, and right now I’m still being a Maverick.”
Draft-day path back to Dallas
De Larrea’s route to Dallas was circuitous. The Los Angeles Lakers initially drafted him at No. 25, but they had already agreed to send that pick to the New York Knicks while moving up one spot to select guard Cameron Carr. The Knicks then dealt De Larrea to the Mavericks in a separate transaction later that night, bringing the Spanish prospect to the franchise he followed as a child.
Doncic’s ongoing influence
Doncic earned EuroLeague MVP honors with Real Madrid at 18 and was taken third overall by Dallas in 2019, accomplishments that inspired many young European players. De Larrea is the latest to credit the four-time All-NBA guard for fueling his NBA ambitions.
Dallas is not alone in drafting players who admire Doncic. Los Angeles Clippers forward Baba Miller, the 36th pick in this year’s draft, also cited the Slovenian star as a role model. Miller, like Doncic, played for Real Madrid before coming to the United States to finish his amateur career at the University of Cincinnati.
As De Larrea begins his first NBA season, he joins a Mavericks roster still resonating with the impact of the player who once sparked his fandom.
Source: LakersNation.com
