(Photo : Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
The stars will be out in August in Japan, the Philippines, and Indonesia for the FIBA World Cup, and for Slovenia, they got NBA superstar Luka Doncic to light their way.
The Dallas Mavericks guard has been made captain of the team, and he said he is excited about this role. He also declared that they would be out there to compete for the world title.
Is that achievable for Slovenians?
Serbian coach Sasa Djordjevic, currently under China's payroll, used the equally famous Usain Bolt as an analogy to describe Doncic and Slovenia's chances.
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"Basketball is not an individual sport," Djordjevic said in an interview with Martin Pavcnik of SportKlub.
"Luka Doncic is not Usain Bolt, with all respect. Everyone needs the power of a team to achieve the results they deserve and are happiest with. None of us would win medals if we didn't have fantastic people by our side. These are primarily teammates and coaches."
The Slovenia national basketball team is a staple in the EuroBasket. They won the 2017 edition of the competition through the lead of Goran Dragic, who will not join the team in August.
Using Mavs 2023 failure as motivation in World Cup
Slovenians' chances are being downplayed at the moment, but Doncic himself is unfazed. He is excited about the World Cup and will use Mavs' disappointing 2023 as an energizer.
Mavericks narrowly missed the play-in after giving up in the last few games.
"The goal is always same - to win the championship," Doncic said. "Of course, this is a wish, but what actually happens in the competition is another matter. I am very motivated myself, and I was additionally motivated by the failure of my team in the NBA and the failure of Slovenia last year."
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