Luka Doncic, with a towel draped over his shoulders, sat in a high chair to take questions Tuesday afternoon for the first time since Media Day on Sept. 30. After a swig of Gatorade, the Mavericks star spoke briefly about a calf contusion in his left leg that derailed his participation in the team’s four-game preseason schedule.

The Mavericks open their season on Thursday night in San Antonio against the Spurs, and while star guard Luka Doncic was initially questionable, his status to play has been upgraded. He will take the floor looking to build on what was an incredibly successful 2023-24 season, both statistically and in terms of team accomplishments.