France Apologizes to Slovenia After Last-Second Layup at EuroBasket
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France’s national team has issued an apology to Slovenia and Luka Doncic after a disputed final possession marred the closing seconds of their FIBA EuroBasket group-stage meeting on Aug. 30, 2025, in Katowice, Poland.
With France holding an unassailable lead and roughly 10 seconds remaining at Spodek Arena, French guard Sylvain Francisco dribbled near mid-court as the clock wound down. Doncic approached, extended his hand, and the two exchanged a handshake—a gesture that typically signals the end of play. Moments later, after several Slovenian players had begun to walk off, Francisco sprinted to the basket for an uncontested layup, sparking a brief confrontation between the teams.
The sequence circulated widely on social media. Speaking to Slovenian reporters afterward, Doncic said, “We shook hands at the end. I didn’t think he was going to score again. Point difference can matter, but a handshake usually means the game is over.” Point differential is a key tiebreaker in EuroBasket group play.
Francisco told reporters he regretted the move and had apologized to Doncic. “I actually went to shake hands and then went for the layup,” he said. “The only thing I regret is shaking hands first—I should have told him to play defense. Point differential is really important in EuroBasket, and that’s why it clicked in my head. I take full responsibility.”
Doncic Continues Historic Tournament Run
Despite Slovenia’s 1-2 record through three Group D games, Doncic has delivered standout performances. The Los Angeles Lakers star scored 34 and 39 points in Slovenia’s first two contests—both defeats—before leading the team to its first win of the tournament on Sunday with 26 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists. The triple-double makes him only the fifth player in EuroBasket history to post at least 10 points, 10 boards and 10 assists, joining Stojko Vrankovic (1993), Toni Kukoc (1995), Rares Mandache (2013) and Mateusz Ponitka (2022).
Doncic also surpassed 400 career points in EuroBasket play, becoming the third Slovenian to reach the mark after Goran Dragic and Jaka Lakovic. At 26, he is the youngest player to achieve the milestone since France’s Tony Parker.
Source: Lakers Nation
