Donnie Nelson is reuniting with Luka Doncic.
The former Dallas Mavericks general manager is joining the Slovenian men’s national team as a senior advisor, the federation announced Friday in Ljubljana, teaming Nelson up once again with the current Lakers star.
“Becoming a part of Slovenian basketball is a great honor for me. I look forward to working with Matej Erjavec, Sasa Doncic and everyone at the Basketball Federation of Slovenia,” said Nelson in a statement, via Eurohoops.
“Watching Luka lead the team to a bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, I became excited about the potential. I can’t wait to see what the Slovenian national team can achieve in the future. I sincerely hope to be in Los Angeles in 2028. I look forward to being a part of its journey.”
VELIKA OKREPITEV za #mojtim! 💪🏼
Sloviti Donnie Nelson, eden najvplivnejših mož NBA, se pridružuje Košarkarski zvezi Slovenije kot zunanji svetovalec!
Bivši GM Dallas Mavericks, človek, ki je v NBA pripeljal Dirka Nowitzkega in Luko Dončića, bo svetoval vodstvu zveze in… pic.twitter.com/Lob1A8cPhB
— Košarkarska zveza SIovenije (@kzs_si) July 4, 2025
Nelson served as president of basketball operations and general manager of the Mavericks for two decades, and was part of the organization when it drafted Doncic in 2018.
The pair was together until Nelson and the Mavericks parted ways in 2021.
Nelson also has an extensive history in the international game as a coach and in other roles for multiple countries. He won three Olympic bronze medals and a EuroBasket gold medal as an assistant coach for Lithuania.
Doncic was traded from Dallas to Los Angeles in a franchise shifting move last season.
The Slovenian team also added Lakers assistant coach Greg St. Jean, who coached Doncic in Dallas from 2021-23, in a similar role.
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