LeBron James Backs Luka Doncic During Slovenia’s Surprise EuroBasket Push
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James publicly applauded teammate Luka Doncic after Slovenia advanced to the quarterfinals of the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 tournament.
Following Slovenia’s 87-79 win over Italy in the round of 16 on Sept. 7, James posted an Instagram story praising Doncic’s performance. The Slovenian guard poured in 42 points, holding onto his position as the competition’s leading scorer.
Slovenia entered the event with Doncic as its lone NBA player, yet the squad moved through group play and defeated Italy wire-to-wire to secure a quarterfinal berth. The run has exceeded pre-tournament expectations, as most observers did not project the team to reach the medal rounds.
Quarterfinal test against Germany
Slovenia’s next matchup comes Wednesday against Germany, a roster highlighted by Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder. Germany claimed an exhibition victory over Slovenia earlier this summer, setting up a high-stakes rematch.
International success connects Lakers stars
James is no stranger to global competition, winning Olympic gold with Team USA in 2008, 2012 and 2024. Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean—also part of Slovenia’s EuroBasket staff—recently said James’ approach to conditioning influenced Doncic’s offseason body transformation, which has been evident during the tournament.
Slovenia will attempt to continue its unexpected run when it faces Germany in the EuroBasket quarterfinals.
Source: Lakers Nation
