The Sacramento Kings spoiled the beginning of the Luka Doncic-Kyrie Irving era with an overtime win over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night.
But that didn’t stop Doncic from gushing about his newest teammate after the game.
“It’s only our first game together, but it’s so fun to play with this guy,” Doncic said during the postgame press conference, per ESPN. “He’s an amazing basketball player, and I think it’s going to be really fun.”
The Mavericks have long been in search of an ideal running mate for Doncic. It’s the first time in the MVP candidate’s career playing alongside an All-Star.
After missing four games with a heel injury, Doncic put up 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists during the 133-128 loss in Sacramento. Irving, who was playing his third game since being traded by the Brooklyn Nets to Dallas, added 28 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
Irving, whose trade was reportedly signed off on in part by Doncic, was also excited about playing alongside the Slovenian star.
“The biggest asset I have is just being able to be fluid out there and adapt to any situation that they throw me in role-wise,” Irving said. “Point guard, playing on the ball, I’ve played with guys who have really been ball dominant. So it’s nothing new, but I think it’s just a figuring-out process that takes time.”