Mavericks' Luka Doncic Reveals He Previously Tested Positive for COVID-19 Antibodies

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic said he previously tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies, telling 1310 The Ticket that he never experienced any symptoms of the virus. 

"I never felt it," he said, per Callie Caplan of the Dallas News. "I just have the antibodies."

According to the Mayo Clinic, a positive antibody test "indicates that you were likely infected with COVID-19 at some time in the past" and may indicate some immunity to the virus.

Doncic said he has been tested for COVID-19 twice daily during the season, and he has not had to enter the league's health and safety protocol this season. 

That makes him a rarity in Dallas. According to Caplan, the Mavericks led the league with seven players forced to miss a total of 56 games amid positive tests for the virus, other health and safety protocol issues. 

Among them: starter Maxi Kleber was out for 11 games, while starters Dorian Finney-Smith and Josh Richardson missed nine each. Amid their outbreak of the virus in January, the Mavericks went 3-8 (h/t Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated). 

Still, they managed to finish the season as the fifth seed in the Western Conference at 42-30. 

Doncic didn't say when he received his positive antibody test. But he did get off to a sluggish start to the season, his third in the league. 

However, he ended the regular season averaging 27.7 points, 8.6 assists and 8.0 rebounds through 66 games for the Mavericks, who will face the No. 4 Clippers in the first-round of the playoffs on Saturday.