Luka Dončić has consistently felt proud to represent his home country in his basketball career.
Many Mavericks supporters have also become avid Slovenian enthusiasts as Dončić represents Slovenia for the third time in the last four off-seasons. Basketball aficionados were inspired by his leadership, including Slovenia’s journey to the Olympics semifinals in 2021 after triumphing in an Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) and securing a quarterfinal victory over a strong German team.
Following a narrow loss to France, Slovenia faltered and subsequently lost the bronze medal match to Australia a few days later. Nevertheless, Slovenia demonstrated its prowess on the global stage, leaving fans eager for a strong return in 2024. Now, facing a tough challenge against Greece, the team strives to qualify for the upcoming Olympic tournament.
Slovenia encountered difficulties in their OQT opener, suffering a 108-92 defeat to Croatia. This setback necessitated a decisive victory over New Zealand by at least 11 points in their next match to advance. Dončić led the charge with 36 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists in a 104-78 triumph, ensuring Slovenia’s progression.
Slovenia’s victory propelled them past the group stage of the OQT, placing them among the final four teams in Piraeus. Slovenia will clash with Greece at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, while the Dominican Republic and Croatia will compete at 1 p.m. on the same day. The winners will face off at 1 p.m. on Sunday, with the victor advancing to the Olympics; only one team will qualify from the group.
This sets the stage for an elimination showdown between two of the sport’s top talents. Giannis Antetokounmpo displayed remarkable efficiency in his lone game for Greece in this tournament, scoring 32 points on a perfect 11-11 shooting in just over 18 minutes. His performance allowed the host nation to comfortably win Thursday’s match against Egypt without needing to deploy the two-time NBA MVP.
This matchup promises to be a spectacle for basketball enthusiasts worldwide, featuring two elite players battling it out for a chance at Olympic qualification. Fans can catch the game on the Courtside1891 app or website, where they can purchase either an annual pass for $29.99 or an OQT-only pass for $17.99, which includes Slovenia’s game against Greece and potentially the Final should they emerge victorious on Saturday.
While Dončić has participated in the Olympics and delivered memorable performances such as his 48-point showcase against Argentina in his Olympic debut, Antetokounmpo has yet to compete in the Summer Olympics. Greece has not qualified for the Olympic tournament since the 2008 Beijing Games, where they narrowly lost to defending world champion Argentina in the quarterfinals.
Now, Antetokounmpo and Greece are just two victories away from making a return to this prestigious tournament, with a determined Slovenian team standing in their path. Dončić is driven to secure a medal for his country, once expressing that winning a gold medal holds greater importance to him than winning an NBA championship. Slovenian players are undoubtedly motivated by the bitter taste left from their 2021 Olympics campaign.
As Dončić and Antetokounmpo compete with their respective nations watching closely, basketball enthusiasts worldwide will enjoy the spectacle. These superstars may not often meet in the NBA playoffs—Dallas is in the West, Milwaukee is in the East—and the NBA regular season intensity has somewhat diminished. Thus, this may be the highest-stakes encounter between these two talents that fans will witness.
