Mavericks' Luka Doncic Joins Slovenian National Team Before Home Game Against Lithuania

Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic joins his Slovenian national team members ahead of a Monday's training session as the team prepares for the pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) dribbles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) during the second quarter in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

DALLAS — Ahead of the Slovenian national team practicing on Monday following a 92-86 loss against Lithuania in Vilnius, Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic arrived and attended a training session.

The Slovenian national team must reduce its roster from 15 to 12 before departing for Piraeus. There is a limit of only one naturalized player on the finalized roster, meaning only one of Josh Nebo or Mike Tobey can be a member of the group that competes in Greece.

Jun 17, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (77) handles the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in game five of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports / Peter Casey-USA TODAY Sports

While Doncic's status has yet to be formally revealed, the Mavericks publicly expressed the expectation that the superstar will always try to play for his national team if physically able to do so. During the NBA postseason, he dealt with a right knee sprain, left ankle soreness, and a thoracic contusion requiring pain-killing injections.

“That’s probably one of his biggest joys," Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said during his media exit interview. "As long as he can walk, he’s probably going to play for them. That’s my expectation.”

Guess who is back. 👀#mojtim | @TelemachSi pic.twitter.com/6EbI911Y5f

— Košarkarska zveza SIovenije (@kzs_si) June 24, 2024

Slovenia has two exhibition matches left to play, both of which will be played in Ljubljana. The next game is another match against Lithuania on June 25, Slovenian National Day. The final game will be played against Brazil on June 28.

In Greece, Slovenia's first matchup of the Group Phase will be against Croatia on July 2, which is set to involve notable players like Ivica Zubac (LA Clippers), Dario Saric (Golden State Warriors), and Mario Hezonja (Real Madrid). The final match before potential competition in the quarterfinals will occur against New Zealand on July 4.

There is a possibility that Doncic could face Giannis Antetokounmpo's Greece squad in the Championship Game if both teams advance all the way through. With only the winner receiving a bid for the Paris Olympics, the stakes will be high for the entire tournament.

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