Before Team Slovenia’s matchup against Italy, even Team Italy’s then-head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco admitted,
“If we are talking about Slovenia, we have to talk about Luka Doncic.”
That sentiment echoed across the basketball world, as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst compared Doncic’s challenge at EuroBasket 2025 to “playing NBA games with G-Leaguers and winning.”
La Slovenia di super Luka Doncic ferma @Italbasket agli ottavi di finale di @EuroBasket (77-84). L’asso dei Los Angeles Lakers firma metà dei punti di squadra (42 su 84). Gianmarco Pozzecco annuncia l’addio alla panchina azzurra. Su @malpensa24 https://t.co/PVjzWwskRA
— Enrico Salomi (@SalomiEnrico) September 7, 2025
Despite averaging 34.0 points per game with remarkable efficiency, Doncic has had little help offensively. In the Round of 16 clash with Italy, he scored 42 of Slovenia’s points, while the next-highest scorer, Klemen Prepelic, had just 11. No other Slovenian player ranks in the tournament’s Top 50 scorers, highlighting the immense pressure on Doncic’s shoulders.
Luka Doncic’s Historic Scoring Run at the EuroBasket 2025
LUKA DONČIĆ: EuroBasket 2025 All-Star Five 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/zH1oHPYVJ3
— Los Angeles Lakers (@Lakers) September 14, 2025
Doncic has scored 30+ points in nearly every major game of the tournament, sitting just one performance shy of tying Greek legend Nikos Galis’s record for most 30+ point outings in a single EuroBasket. His dominance has been crucial for Slovenia, especially given their struggles in preparation games, where they won only one of seven.
Windhorst acknowledged his brilliance, saying: “He crushed the Italians in the round of 16… If he’s able to reach the final, it would be one of the great performances we’ve seen in modern international basketball.” Still, he warned that defending champions Germany are likely to double-team Doncic heavily in the upcoming clash.
While Windhorst downplayed Slovenia’s supporting cast, Doncic himself refused to take full credit. After his 42-point performance against Italy, he praised his teammates: “Why are we special? Because everyone plays for each other. We get along great, the chemistry is at its peak.”
That chemistry was tested earlier in the tournament when tensions flared after a loss to Serbia. Veteran Edo Muric admitted there had been “strong words” in the locker room, but emphasized the group cleared the air. Doncic’s passion for winning was again visible during a timeout against Italy, where he barked at teammates: “We’re up by seven, calm the f*** down. We don’t need to fight each other. We’re against them, not against ourselves.” Slovenia held firm to secure the win.
Luka Doncic’s EuroBasket journey is proving to be one of the great one-man shows in modern international basketball. Carrying Slovenia with record-breaking scoring while also holding his teammates together, Doncic has been both a star and a leader.
Whether he can take this underdog Slovenian squad past powerhouse Germany remains uncertain. But regardless of the outcome, Doncic’s performance at EuroBasket 2025 is solidifying his status not just as Slovenia’s cornerstone, but as one of the game’s most determined global superstars.
