Doncic recruits Campazzo for the Mavericks

Luka Doncic and Facundo Campazzo, one of the best couples in European basketball in the last decade, will meet again four years later to play together for the Dallas Mavericks.

The 31-year-old Argentine point guard had finished his contract with the Denver Nuggets, the team he joined two seasons ago from Real Madrid, and has decided to join the Slovenian to extend his adventure in the NBA.

The American journalist Marc Stein advanced the interest of the Texan franchise and the negotiations have resulted in a one-year contract.

Despite the fact that his experience in Denver has not been entirely satisfactory, going from more to less in these two years, Campazzo never abandoned his idea of ​​succeeding in the NBA.

In his two seasons with the Nuggets, he played 130 games, averaging 5.6 points, 3.5 assists, 1.9 rebounds and 1.1 steals in an average of 20.1 minutes per game.

Far from his numbers at Real Madrid, where he recorded 10.2 points, 4.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.

But the

has never deviated from the path.

“My attention and energy are focused on the NBA.

My first option is that”, he stated last August before embarking with the Argentine team in the AmeriCup.

The light blue team was champion of the tournament and the point guard was included in the ideal quintet.

Campazzo arrives in Dallas aware that he will have to earn the minutes.

The Argentine has the confidence of the coach, Jason Kidd, who has been key in insisting throughout the summer on his signing, but will initially start as the third baseman of the squad behind Spencer Dinwiddie and Frenchman Frank Ntilikina.

However, he plays in his favor the great connection he showed during his time at Real Madrid with Doncic, the alpha and omega of the Mavericks.

Campazzo and Doncic will play together again.

🤩🔥pic.twitter.com/T8WKsT2yOk

– Sixth Man (@6tohombreLATAM) October 12, 2022

Although they spent a short time together at Real Madrid, the two players formed an outside partnership that propelled the team to one of the best seasons in its history.

In 2017-18, Madrid won the ACB-Euroleague double, the white team's last European title.

"I'm glad he's playing well and proving he deserves his place in the NBA," Doncic said last season after a game between Denver and Dallas.

"It's always a pleasure to see him and play against him, although I prefer to have him on my team."

Wish granted.

Last year, the Slovenian guided Dallas to its first conference final since 2011, when the franchise won the NBA ring for the first and only time from Dirk Nowitzki.

For this season, his fourth in the NBA in which he will turn 25, Doncic sets himself a double goal: the ring and the MVP.

This last purpose works in favor of Campazzo.

In the year they shared in Madrid, Doncic won the ACB and Euroleague MVP with the Argentine as his best comrade.

In addition, coincidence or not, until 2020, the year of Campazzo's arrival in the NBA, a Denver player had never won the NBA MVP award.

Since then, the last two accolades have gone to Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.

A pension to continue in the NBA

Campazzo's arrival in Dallas comes after the point guard refused to return to Real Madrid.

The white club was in talks with the Argentine since he ended his contract in Denver, but the player always remained firm in his desire to remain in the NBA.

"Real Madrid is the biggest showcase in Europe and being part of that club helped me to be in the NBA, but the reality is that I want to focus on continuing in the United States," said the Argentine in an interview in

before leaving with his team for the AmeriCup.

The prize for resisting the temptation to return to a place where she would have a larger role will be a life pension.

Upon reaching his third season in the NBA, Campazzo ensures a salary for life, which will depend on the games he ends up playing in the American league.

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