By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With the big exhibition game between Serbia and Slovenia coming up in Lubljana tomorrow, Luka Doncic met with the local press and he didn’t deny that as Eurobasket 2017 champion, his goal is to defend his title in the upcoming Eurobasket 2022.
“Who’s talking about what kind of pressure?” Doncic joked when asked about the Slovenia national team’s goal and explain that he is aiming for the top again: “We are going to Germany to win gold. In every competition where we compete, the goal must always be the first place. We will do everything for it, but we will see if we make it. In 2017, no one took us seriously when we announced our attack on the gold medal, today is different. It’s nice when you see that everyone will make an extra effort against us to win”.
For Doncic, the chemistry of the team is the key to success: “The atmosphere in the team is exceptional. We all like to socialize together, no one keeps to themselves. That’s why I always look forward to joining the national team. Now I also have a kind of role as a motivator, and I enjoy it. Especially when teammates have to do push-ups according to some rules”.
Doncic was part of a historic run for a small country like Slovenia in 2017, which was celebrated at the start of the summer with a documentary dedicated to the title run.
Doncic admitted that this run remains unique: “You relive feelings that were truly unique. We will never forget the entire event in Istanbul. At the beginning of the summer, we relived it while watching the documentary, and I have to admit that I got goosebumps when I saw it all”.
And of course, having Goran Dragic back on the national team makes the effort to defend the title simpler: “He is our captain who led us to gold, for which we will be forever grateful. But it’s always like that. All twelve players are important for success, each in their own way. If we all work for the same goal and give everything to make it happen, then anything is possible.”
Speaking about himself, Doncic added: “I’m not in top shape yet, but it will be until the European Championship. I was surprised myself with my performance in the game against Istanbul, it was better than I thought it would be. But it will soon get even better,”.