By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The press conference in which Luka Doncic met the Slovenian media back at his home country, was about the upcoming Olympic Qualifiers in Lithuania and his return to the Slovenian national team.
However, when Doncic was asked about the decision of the Dallas Mavericks to part ways with Donnie Nelson, he didn’t hide his feelings.
“It was kind of tough to me”, Doncic said. “I really like Donnie. I know him since I was a kid and he was the one that drafted me. It was tough for me seeing that, but I’m not the one making decisions there.”
An advocate of international basketball in the NBA for more than three decades, Nelson has been well-known to have a great eye for young talent all over the world. He was a big part of the Phoenix Suns drafting Steve Nash and was responsible for the Mavs getting their hands on Dirk Nowitzki and Luka Doncic, as well as Kristaps Prozingis.
Speaking about his return to the Slovenian national team after winning Eurobasket 2007, Doncic said that he is ready to embrace the challenge of being the leader of the team with Goran Dragic having retired from national team duties: “It has always been an honor to play for Slovenia. Especially with guys like we have. We have grown up in four years. There is a big minus because there is no Goran. He helped us a lot that year. He impressed us with the way he played. I think we can continue to do a lot. ”
And that also includes doing more in the NBA with the ultimate goal being the championship title: “I haven’t done anything yet. My goal is to win the championship. There’s still a long way to go.”
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