Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic recently joined Slovenia’s national team and took some time to discuss a variety of topics with the Slovenian media. These topics included his decision to represent Slovenia, a potential matchup against Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo, his new partnership with Josh Nebo, and more.
Doncic acknowledged that deciding to join the national team was not straightforward due to injuries and the long NBA season. “It wasn’t easy to make the decision, mainly because of all the injuries and the length of our season, but now I’m here, and it’s an honor,” Doncic explained. “I didn’t have any doubts; I didn’t even think much about it; I knew that in the end, I would be part of the national team.”
Reflecting on the playoffs, Doncic emphasized that his focus was solely on the Mavericks and their games, but he was always aware of his commitment to Slovenia. “In the playoffs, I was only focused on Dallas and the games, but I knew how it would be. The Mavericks know that I will always play for Slovenia if I can, so there were no dilemmas,” he said.
Doncic expressed his joy and pride in playing for his country. “I enjoy playing basketball very much. I’m really happy that it’s my job. Every time I wake up and there’s a training session or a game waiting for me, I’m happy. It’s always an honor to play for the national team. I love playing for Slovenia. I always say that I will play for Slovenia whenever I can,” he shared.
Regarding his physical condition, Doncic admitted that he is not yet fully healthy, but he is improving daily. “All the injuries hindered me, then I kind of got used to everything and fell into the rhythm of the games because they were scheduled day-to-day. As for my knee, I wouldn’t go into details, but everything is getting better day by day,” he noted.
Doncic and the Slovenian team are preparing to travel to Piraeus, Greece, aiming to secure a spot in the Paris Olympics. Doncic acknowledged the challenge ahead, particularly facing Greece and Giannis Antetokounmpo. “We expect an exceptional atmosphere in Piraeus; we know that the Greeks are very loud; we know where we are going,” Doncic said. “We’ll face exceptional opponents, led by the Greeks and Giannis Antetokounmpo.”
Discussing Antetokounmpo, Doncic admitted that stopping him is nearly impossible. “I don’t think anyone has an answer on how to stop him. We all know what kind of player he is. It’s difficult to stop him; we can only limit his contribution a little,” he added.
Despite the challenges, Doncic believes Slovenia is capable of making its second consecutive Olympic appearance. “Playing at the Olympic Games would mean a lot, not only to me but to the whole team and, I believe, to the whole of Slovenia,” Doncic said. “Qualifying for the Olympic Games is not easy; we have managed to do it once so far, and it would be an honor for us to succeed again.”
He acknowledged the difficulty of the upcoming tournament and compared it to past challenges. “I don’t know if this tournament will be more difficult than the one in Lithuania; even then, the Greeks had an excellent team. We will focus on Croatia and New Zealand first, and we talked about how to proceed,” he noted.
On Thursday, Slovenia’s head coach, Aleksandar Sekulic, decided to cut Mike Tobey from the extended roster, making Josh Nebo the naturalized player who will represent the team at the Olympics. When asked about his thoughts on a potential partnership with Nebo, Doncic admitted he wasn’t sure yet. “For now, we haven’t practiced five-on-five, at least since I’ve been here. Today we have the first such training, so I’ll be able to say more after Friday’s match with Brazil,” Doncic concluded.
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