Mavericks rookie Sergio De Larrea reveales the childhood idol who made him a Dallas fan

Jul 07, 2026 - 14:35

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Mavericks rookie Sergio De Larrea reveales the childhood idol who made him a Dallas fan originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Dallas Mavericks have officially signed Sergio De Larrea to a four-year, $16.3 million contract. Before the deal was finalized, there had been speculation that Dallas might leave De Larrea in Europe as a stash prospect to continue his development. However, the Mavericks put those rumors to rest by making it clear that the 20-year-old will begin his NBA journey right away.

Long before becoming a member of the Mavericks, De Larrea had already developed a strong connection with the franchise. After practice on Monday, the young guard revealed that his admiration for former Dallas superstar Luka Doncic was the main reason he became a Mavericks fan growing up.

“I saw Luka when he came from Madrid to here and it was for me like my idol in the young era. For that reason, I was a Maverick fan a long time ago,” De Larrea said.

De Larrea was only 12 years old when Dončić made his NBA debut, making the former Mavericks franchise cornerstone the ideal basketball hero during his formative years. Unfortunately for the rookie, he will not have the opportunity to share the court with his childhood idol, as Dallas traded Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers before De Larrea arrived.

Still, De Larrea is far more than just a lifelong Mavericks fan living out a dream. He has entered the NBA as one of Europe's most accomplished young prospects after an outstanding season with Valencia Basket in Spain's Liga ACB. He won the 2026 Liga ACB Best Young Player award while playing a key role in helping Valencia defeat Barcelona to win the league championship.

After already taking part in practices with Dallas, De Larrea is now set to make his unofficial NBA debut during the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas. The promising guard is expected to make his first appearance on Thursday when the Mavericks face the Golden State Warriors.