The young star of the Dallas Mavericks team, Luka Doncic, did not hesitate to predict that the Puerto Rican José Juan Barea will give a lot to talk about during his time in the prestigious ACB league in Spain.
The Slovenian assured that the Puerto Rican setter will leave a good feeling once he starts with the club Movistar Estudiantes de Madrid.
The two baskets have been teammates on the Dallas Mavericks since 2018 and have cultivated a friendship that has even been described in various games and training sessions for the team owned by Mark Cuban.
“He is an incredible player. I think it will help many people with his experience. I also think he will do very well. He will play very well “, said Doncic in short statements to the press after a Mavericks game.
Doncic knows very well the league in which the Puerto Rican will play now. The native Slovenian player played for four years with Real Madrid, was selected as the most valuable player of the 2017-2018 season and is included in the ideal Euroleague team of the decade 2010-2020.
It is not the first time that Rookie of the Year for the 2018-2019 season speaks wonders about the player from Puerto Rico, whom he had already described as the leader for the young players of the team.
Barea, meanwhile, lost his contract in the NBA after playing 14 uninterrupted seasons since 2006.
The Puerto Rican – who was crowned champion with Dallas in 2011 as one of the key figures – was announced as the new player for the Movistar Estudiantes team on Saturday, January 23rd.
The 36-year-old goalkeeper was presented on Tuesday in a post on the Spanish team’s networks.
“Look who came to Madrid! José Juan Barea arrived in the capital. Welcome to Spain “, wrote the Movistar Estudiantes account.
The reactions to the publication did not wait and one of the first to leave his comment was Carlos Arroyo, who was also a former canastero, who played with Baskonia and FC Barcelona Barsa in the Euroleague.
“I’m going to you!” Said Arroyo with extensive experience in European basketball.
Estudiantes remains in 16th place out of a total of 18 teams with a negative record of 5-11.
The quintet is scheduled to open the second round of the CBA next Saturday, January 30, against the San Sebastián Gipuzkoa BC team.