Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic has had a busy offseason between transforming his body, going on tour with Jordan Brand and now leading Slovenia to the round of 16 in EuroBasket 2025.
Slovenia qualified for the elimination rounds thanks to Doncic, who has looked outstanding in exhibition and pool play. Slovenia clinched its spot after beating Iceland and stamped the end of pool play with a resounding win over Israel, giving them momentum for the next phase of the tournament.
While Slovenia looked much better in group play than it did during its exhibition slate, they still face an uphill climb as the competition will only get stiffer. Countries like Serbia, Germany, France and Turkey are all projected to go deeper in the tournament thanks to their NBA talent and depth.
However, those countries aren’t discouraging Doncic and Slovenia as they believe they still have a chance to medal in EuroBasket, as translated by Luka Updates:
"We're hoping for the medal. We think we can win a medal. I know a lot of others don't, but we believe in us. Everybody that's here, we all believe, everyone in everyone. So, just with head forward." pic.twitter.com/2jLhpVPCd8
— Luka Updates (@LukaUpdates) September 4, 2025
The first half of the round of 16 bracket was set after Groups A and B finished pool play, while the second half of the bracket was settled following the conclusion of group play between Groups C and D. Slovenia draws Italy in the first round, a touch matchup as they finished second in Group C with a 4-1 record behind Greece. Italy features Simone Fontecchio and Danilo Gallinari, two NBA talents that could give Slovenia trouble.
The winner of Italy-Slovenia will go on to face the winner of Germany-Portugal, creating an even tougher path for Slovenia to get to the medal rounds. Fortunately, Doncic is the great equalizer in the tournament as he has the ability to erupt at any moment.
EuroBasket 2025 looks like it’s heading for an exciting conclusion and it’ll be interesting to see just how far Doncic and Slovenia can go.
Luka Doncic becomes Slovenia’s all-time leading scorer in international competition
Luka Doncic has looked more like his peak self during EuroBasket 2025, doing everything from an offensive standpoint to keep Slovenia competitive. Scoring has never been an issue for Doncic who is able to put up points in a hurry and after his 37-point explosion against Israel, he became Slovenia’s all-time leading scorer in international play.
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