Eden Hazard dwarfed by Dallas Mavericks sensation Luka Doncic as pair swap jerseys
Real Madrid forward Eden Hazard entered the land of the giants when he met up with basketball star Luka Doncic after watching a Mavericks game in Dallas, where he has travelled for surgery on his ankle.
The rising NBA player towered over the Belgium international as they swapped jerseys after the Mavericks beat the New Orleans Pelicans 127-123, with Doncic scoring 30 points.
Hazard suffered his blow while playing for Los Blancos against Levante at the end of February, with a return to action before the end of the season looking unlikely, and now the former Chelsea star is in the US for his procedure.
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Rising NBA star Luka Doncic enters to meet Eden Hazard after his win with the Mavericks
The Basketball player dwarfs the Belgian following the game as the two greet each other
Hazard and Doncic swap Real Madrd and Dallas Mavericks shirts and pose for the cameras
But before the operation on Thursday, Hazard took some time out to watch a few hoops at the American Airlines Center and arrange a VIP backstage meeting with Doncic after the Mavericks secured the win in the Western Conference.
A clip shows the 21-year-old Slovenian, who once played for the Real Madrid basketball team, walk into a room where Hazard had been waiting for him and immediately sticks out a hand to greet him – and the difference in size between the pair becomes clear straight away.
Doncic, who is 6’7, completely dwarfs Hazard as they stand next to each other, with the 5’9 star pulling out a Real Madrid shirt. Doncic then picks up his Mavericks jersey from his shoulder and holds it up before the pair make the exchange.
They pose for photos as they lift the shirts aloft and then enjoy a catch-up. Social media has been reacting with shock to the notable difference in size between the two, with one user asking: ‘Who is this child impersonating Hazard?’
Another said he ‘wasn’t ready for that height difference’, with one fan posting a mock-up image of a tiny Hazard training with Madrid players.
Hazard, has endured a miserable season for Madrid since signing from Chelsea for £150million and has scored just one goal.
Hazard had to come off injured for Real Madrid against Levante last month with an ankle injury
He is facing a race against time to be fit for Euro 2020 and will hope his surgery will provide a solution to his injury woes this season.
All four of the injuries he has suffered this season have been in his lower body, including a hamstring blow keeping him out for 25 days in August and a foot problem ruling him out from December to February.
The new injury is a fractured fibula bone, with Madrid agreeing that a procedure was the best option for Hazard.
He has been accompanied on the trip to Dallas by Real Madrid’s chief medical officer, Niko Mihic ahead of the operation at the Carell Clinic, where Hazard could be seen by Dallas Cowboys doctor Dr. Eugene Curry.
AS reported that the clinic was chosen because Madrid consultant Dr. Daniel Cooper works there, but he will not operate on Hazard as he is a shoulder specialist.
If all goes well in the surgery then the 29-year-old could be out for another two months, and may possibly play the last two games of Madrid’s season.
