Luka Dončić Ready for EuroBasket 2025, Slovenia Hosting in 2029 Would Be 'Dream Come True'
Luka Dončić shares his pride in representing Slovenia at EuroBasket 2025 while leading the Mavericks to a strong 15-8 start to the 2024-25 NBA season.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Luka Dončić is focused on guiding the Dallas Mavericks amid a 15-8 start to the season. When the 2024-25 NBA season concludes in many months, the Slovenian superstar looks forward to returning to compete for his national team again.
Dončić is usually quick to commit his participation in the Slovenian national team, in my experience covering him. Given that he was battling injuries, he naturally needed a few days after Game 5 of the NBA Finals. However, he competed despite only having 15 days between walking off the court at TD Garden and his national team tipping off for the first time at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece.
With Dončić’s national team recently earning qualification for EuroBasket 2025, he’s already looking forward to participating. The event is held in late August and lasts through early September, giving Dončić plenty of time to rest and prepare, even if the Mavericks return to the Finals. He’s averaging 28.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 7.9 assists for the Mavericks across 17 performances.
“I'm looking forward to just playing for my country,” Dončić told DallasHoopsJournal.com after recording 21 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists against the Washington Wizards. “Obviously, I'm going to play. It's a pride, a joy to play for your own country every time I can. So, I'm going to do it.”
It remains to be seen where Slovenia will compete specifically at EuroBasket until the draw in the spring. Four host nations for the Group Stage include Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia. The Final Phase will be held in Latvia.
The hosts for EuroBasket 2029 have yet to be decided, but various nations have already submitted bids to host. Slovenia joins Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Spain on that list. Four countries will be chosen to co-host the Group Stage, and one will host the Final Phase.
“That would be a dream come true, playing in front of fans in a big tournament at the EuroBasket,” Dončić told DallasHoopsJournal.com.
Dončić helped guide Slovenia to a title at EuroBasket 2017 alongside Goran Dragić, averaging 14.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 3.6 assists in nine games. He later helped lead the team in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Kaunas, Lithuania, averaging 21.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 11.3 assists. This earned the nation’s first men’s basketball medal before Slovenia, and an appearance at the Tokyo Olympic Games held in 2021 due to COVID-19. Slovenia was on the brink of advancing to the Gold Medal Game at the Olympics but lost 90-89. As a result, Slovenia competed against Australia in the Bronze Medal Game, losing 107-93.
Dončić was among three All-NBA First-Team members to compete at EuroBasket 2022, including Nikola Jokić for Serbia and Giannis Antetokounmpo for Greece. Slovenia faced a tough Group B, including Germany, France, and Lithuania. However, qualification was earned with a 4-1 record in the Knockout Stage and a +32 point differential. However, Slovenia’s journey ended with a 90-87 loss in the Quarterfinals. Dončić averaged an incredible 27.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 6.6 assists in a run that included a 47-point performance against France—the second most points in a game in EuroBasket history.
At the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Dončić was instrumental in guiding Slovenia through a daunting group in Okinawa, Japan. This included a pivotal victory over Australia to earn advancement to the Quarterfinals in Manila, Philippines, leading to a historic seventh-place finish at the tournament. Dončić led all players in the event, averaging 27.0 points per game, adding 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists. However, an Olympic bid wasn’t quite achieved after losing 100-89 against Canada.
Dončić was highly productive at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece, averaging 27.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 8.3 assists. However, with an undersized frontcourt, teams like Croatia with Ivica Zubac and Antetokounmpo’s Greek squad were too much for Slovenia to handle.
Dončić will undoubtedly be motivated to guide Slovenia to success the next time he wears the national team uniform.
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