Luka DONCIC

Luka Doncic’s NBA journey

At the end of his contract with Real Madrid, the Slovenian made his debut in the NBA. Initially selected as the third overall pick by the Atlanta Hawks, he was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where his journey in the world's premier basketball league began.

In his rookie season, Doncic won the NBA Rookie of the Year award. Since then, he has earned four NBA All-Star selections and played an instrumental role in the resurgence of the Dallas Mavericks, leading them back to the playoffs.

Luka Doncic's international career

Doncic's contributions extend beyond the hardwoods of the NBA. He remains an integral part of the Slovenian national basketball team, despite the demanding schedule of the NBA. In 2017, he guided Slovenia to a historic gold medal at the FIBA EuroBasket tournament, at only 18 at the time, marking Slovenia's first international tournament victory.

Luka also represented Slovenia on the Olympic stage when his country made its inaugural appearance in men's basketball at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics finishing fourth, narrowly missing the podium. In an intense semi-final clash against favourite France, they succumbed by a single point (90-89). The NBA star averaged over 23 points per game during the tournament.

"It's unbelievable; a country of two million people being top four in the world. We really achieved a lot by just going to the Olympics; it was our first time in history here. It's incredible," he commented after the tournament.

in 2023, the Dallas Mavericks star led his team to the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals, where they lost to Canada. Despite the defeat, he left the tournament as one of the standout performers, averaging 27 points per game.